Sören Pellmann | |
|---|---|
 Pellmann in 2025 | |
| Leader ofThe Left in theBundestag | |
| Assumed office 20 February 2024 Serving with Heidi Reichinnek | |
| Preceded by | Dietmar Bartsch |
| Whip | Christian Görke |
| Member of theBundestag forLeipzig II | |
| Assumed office 24 September 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas Feist |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1977-02-11)11 February 1977 (age 48) |
| Political party | The Left |
Sören Pellmann (born 11 February 1977 in Leipzig,East-Germany) is a German politician who representsThe Left. Pellmann has served as a member of theBundestag fromLeipzig II in the state ofSaxony since 2017.[1] Since 2024, he has been serving as the Leader of The Left Group in theBundestag, alongsideHeidi Reichinnek.
Pellmann was born inLeipzig,Saxony. His father was the historian andSED-, laterPDS-politician Dietmar Pellmann. He graduated at the Polytechnic Secondary School " „Adolf Hennecke“ and then the Lichtenberg-Gymnasium inLeipzig-Grünau, where he passed his Abitur in 1995. This was followed by community service with the city of Leipzig in a home for severely and multiply handicapped children and young people. During his law studies at theUniversity of Leipzig, he worked for Barbara Höll and Heidemarie Lüth, who were members of the German Bundestag at the time. Subsequently, he studied to become a teacher for special schools with a focus on education for the mentally handicapped and education for the learning disabled until 2009. He completed his subsequent legal clerkship at the "Adolph Diesterweg" Learning Special School in Leipzig and at the "Schule Rosenweg" Special School for the Mentally Handicapped in Leipzig.[2]
Pellmann joined theParty of Democratic Socialism (PDS) on his sixteenth birthday in 1993. He became active in local politics in Leipzig, and was elected to the city council in 2009. In the2017 German federal election, he ran as The Left's candidate forLeipzig II. He narrowly defeated incumbent Thomas Feist, winning 25.3% of votes to Feist's 24.6%. He became the first member of his party to win a constituency in Saxony, and the only Left MP to win a constituency outsideBerlin in 2017.[3]
Pellmann was re-elected in Leipzig II in 2021. While his vote fell slightly to 22.8%, his margin increased to 4.4% as the second-placed candidate,Paula Piechotta of theGreens, won 18.4%. Pellmann's re-election was especially significant since The Left won only 4.9% of votes nationally, just short of the 5%electoral threshold, and was only entitled toproportional representation due to winning three constituencies:Berlin-Treptow-Köpenick,Berlin-Lichtenberg, and Leipzig II.[4]
Within the party, Pellmann was considered a supporter ofSahra Wagenknecht. After theRussian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, he and five other Left MdBs joined Wagenknecht in issuing a joint statement attributing responsibility for the war in part to the United States andNATO. This was met with harsh criticism from a number of party members, including foreign policy spokesman and party elderGregor Gysi.[5]
At the Left party congress in June, Pellmann ran unsuccessfully for the party co-leadership, winning 176 votes (31.6%) to MEPMartin Schirdewan's 341 (61.3%).[6]
In February 2024, Pellmann was elected co-leader of the Left's reorganised Bundestag group alongsideHeidi Reichinnek, defeatingClara Bünger 14 votes to 13.[7]
At the 2025 German federal election Sören Pellmann won the direct mandate of Leipzig II electoral district.[8]
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