16 Facts About Dietmar Bartsch

Dietmar Gerhard Bartsch was born on 31 March 1958 and is a German politician who has served as co-chair of The Left parliamentary group in the Bundestag since 2015.

Dietmar Bartsch was a prominent member of The Left's predecessor party, the PDS, of which he served as treasurer from 1991 to 1997 and federal managing officer from 1997 to 2002.

Dietmar Bartsch has been a member of the Bundestag since 2005, and previously served from 1998 to 2002.

Dietmar Bartsch joined the Socialist Unity Party of Germany, the ruling party of East Germany, in 1977.

Dietmar Bartsch co-founded the Committee of Young Comrades in 1989.

Dietmar Bartsch returned to the Bundestag in the 2005 election.

In January 2010, after disputes within the party, Dietmar Bartsch announced he would not seek re-election as federal managing officer at the party congress in May Later in January, he became deputy chairman of the Left's Bundestag group.

In late 2011, Dietmar Bartsch declared his intention to run for party chairman at the 2012 party congress, even after incumbent Oskar Lafontaine announced his desire to seek re-election.

Dietmar Bartsch was elected co-leader of the Left's Bundestag group in 2015 alongside Sahra Wagenknecht, succeeding long-time leader Gregor Gysi.

Ahead of the 2021 federal election, Dietmar Bartsch was chosen as one of The Left's two lead candidates alongside new party co-leader Janine Wissler.

Ahead of the 2017 German presidential election, Dietmar Bartsch supported the prospect of a joint centre-left candidate supported by the SPD, Left, and Greens.

In 2017, Dietmar Bartsch stated that former Stasi employees should not always be excluded from government office, believing that a critical assessment of each individual is necessary.

Dietmar Bartsch accused the German government of delivering a weak response to the 2016 Turkish purges, and demanded that more pressure should be put the Turkish government to respect democracy and human rights.

In early January 2010, Dietmar Bartsch was accused of disloyalty by Left parliamentary leader Gregor Gysi after passing information to about the retirement of party leader Oskar Lafontaine.

Dietmar Bartsch claimed that Gysi requested the creation of the file after the 2012 party congress to gauge support for Lafontaine among the new party executive, though Gysi denied this.

Dietmar Bartsch claimed it was already public knowledge within the party in 2012, and the issue was discussed with the people involved at the time.