1. Susanne Hennig-Wellsow was born on Hennig on 13 October 1977 and is a German politician.
18 Facts About Susanne Hennig-Wellsow
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Susanne Hennig-Wellsow was federal co-chairwoman of The Left from 2021 to 2022 and has served as a member of the Bundestag for Thuringia since 2021.
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Susanne Hennig-Wellsow's father did military service in the National People's Army and subsequently worked as a truck driver and police officer.
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Susanne Hennig-Wellsow's mother was a registrar and worked in the Ministry of the Interior from the mid-1990s.
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Susanne Hennig-Wellsow won 76 of 134 delegate votes against two other candidates.
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An amendment to prevent this practice was proposed but defeated, and Susanne Hennig-Wellsow retained both positions.
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In September 2020, Susanne Hennig-Wellsow announced her candidacy for the co-leadership of the federal Left party.
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Susanne Hennig-Wellsow welcomed the candidacy of Janine Wissler, and expressed her hope for the election of an all-female co-leadership.
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Susanne Hennig-Wellsow stated that she would move out of state politics and seek election to the Bundestag if confirmed as party chair.
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Susanne Hennig-Wellsow was elected to the Bundestag in first position on the Thuringia state list.
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On 20 April 2022, Susanne Hennig-Wellsow resigned as co-leader with immediate effect.
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Susanne Hennig-Wellsow stated that the party needed new faces for a renewal.
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Susanne Hennig-Wellsow announced in December 2024 that she would not be seeking re-election in the 2025 German federal election.
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Susanne Hennig-Wellsow is considered to be on the pragmatic wing of The Left, and describes herself as supporting a "radical Realpolitik".
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Susanne Hennig-Wellsow has taken a more hostile attitude toward Russia than others in her party, including in regards to Russian actions in Ukraine and Syria, and the poisoning of Alexei Navalny.
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Susanne Hennig-Wellsow rose to national prominence during the February 2020 government crisis in Thuringia.
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Susanne Hennig-Wellsow was widely criticized for an interview she conducted on 4 March 2021, during which she asserted that she was against the German military being involved in "combat missions" abroad but was unable to say how many active combat missions Germany was engaged in at that time and tried to appeal to a member of staff for assistance answering further questions about German military activity.
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Susanne Hennig-Wellsow received further criticism for her interview with Markus Lanz, aired on 31 March 2021, during which she struggled to answer basic facts about The Left's tax proposals.