Left forms alliance to fight German far-right

German Left-wing politicians yesterday launched a cross-party populist movement they pledged would address the concerns of the poor and win back working-class voters who have drifted to the xenophobic far-right.

Sahra Wagenknecht, a divisive Socialist leader of the far-left Die Linke party, presented the “Stand Up” alliance a week after extremist mobs in east Germany attacked foreigners and noisily protested against Chancellor Angela Merkel’s immigration policies.