Political Activities
Heilmann took part in the "Jugendweihe" in 1981. He became a member of the communist party of the German Democratic Republic, the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) in 1986, and has remained a member of its successor parties (SED-PDS, PDS, Die Linkspartei.PDS and now Die Linke), although he left the party in 1992 and rejoined in 2000.
Heilmann, who was previously married, has organized participation of the party's queer group at Christopher Street Days.
In the Bundestag, his main activity has focused on transportation policy favoring the environment. He argued for an increase in the LKW-MAUT and against a proposed waiver of the motor vehicle tax for new cars.
He has been involved in a fight within Die Linke, trying to get Lübeck party boss Ragnar Lüttke expelled from the party. Four-year old photographs showing Lüttke at a party celebrating Joseph Stalin's birthday were obtained by a Flensburg newspaper in October 2008.
In 2009 he failed to be nominated again as a Bundestag candidate.
Read more about this topic: Lutz Heilmann
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