Russian media has devoted a great deal of attention to a German town called Quakenbrück in the northwestern Lower Saxony region. According to Ria Novosti, Izvestia, Lenta.ru, Sputnik and TVC the town’s parliament will call for Crimea to be recognized as part of the Russian Federation and for EU sanctions against Russia to be lifted.
Quakenbrück is a town of less than 13,000 residents. Its legislative body is not a parliament but a council of 31 people whose purpose is to look after the social, business and infrastructure needs of the town. The council has no foreign policy powers to recognize Crimea as part of Russia nor, to lift EU sanctions.
The resolution on Crimea was suggested by Andreas Maurer, the chairman of the Left faction in the Quakenbruck council. The faction consists of three people, including Maurer.
Ukrainian blogger Maxim Savanevsky suggested that Ukraine should follow Quakenbruck’s example and the western Ukrainian city of Kolomya should declare Kaliningrad, the former Konigsberg, as part of Germany.
The resolution being considered by the Left Party in Quakenbruck has so far not been introduced in the town’s council for a vote.
Germany’s Left Party was formed on the basis of the East German Communist Party and is the most left wing party of the four political parties in today’s German parliament, the Bundestag. During the last federal elections they received 8.6% of the vote. The party’s think tank is called the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation.
