When Heidi Reichinnek talks about her “political arm”, she means her left arm. It is adorned with a tattoo of Nefertiti wearing a gas mask, whilst Rosa Luxemburg is immortalised on her forearm – her great political role model. Heidi Reichinnek has been a member of the party Die Linke since 2015. The politician’s videos reach an audience of millions on TikTok and Instagram, primarily young people. For some, the parliamentary group leader is therefore “a Member of the Bundestag and a content creator rolled into one”. Yet her party’s success in the 2025 federal election is largely down to Heidi Reichinnek. Friedrich Merz probably owes her something too: his election as Chancellor. After he failed to secure the necessary votes in the first round of voting, she is said to have made a second round possible on the very same day.