- left ▁positions ▁and ▁was ▁an ▁observer ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁European ▁Left . ▁At ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 6 ▁it ▁left ▁the ▁European ▁party . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁D K P ▁considered ▁itself ▁a ▁reconst itution ▁of ▁the ▁Commun ist ▁Party ▁of ▁Germany ▁( K PD ), ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁b anned ▁by ▁the ▁Federal ▁Constitution al ▁Court ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁for ▁its ▁ag gress ively ▁milit ant ▁opposition ▁to ▁the ▁West ▁German ▁constitution . ▁The ▁new ▁party ▁was ▁formed ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 ▁by ▁former ▁K PD ▁function aries ▁in ▁close ▁co operation ▁with ▁East ▁Germany ' s ▁r uling ▁party , ▁the ▁Social ist ▁Unity ▁Party ▁( SE D ), ▁from ▁which ▁the ▁D K P ▁received ▁both ▁political ▁direct ives ▁and ▁– ▁through ▁cover t ▁trans fers ▁– ▁most ▁of ▁its ▁funds . ▁ ▁The ▁foundation ▁was ▁preced ed ▁by ▁tal ks ▁between ▁former ▁K PD ▁function aries ▁and ▁Gustav ▁Hein emann , ▁the ▁West ▁German ▁minister ▁of ▁justice , ▁who ▁explained ▁to ▁them ▁that ▁while ▁a ▁ref ounding ▁of ▁a ▁b anned ▁party ▁was ▁not ▁leg ally ▁possible , ▁Commun ists ▁were ▁free ▁to ▁form ▁an ▁entirely ▁new ▁party . ▁Even ▁though ▁the ▁close ▁links ▁to ▁the ▁b anned ▁K PD ▁made ▁the ▁new ▁party ▁li able ▁to ▁be ▁declared ▁illegal , ▁no ▁such ▁declaration ▁was ▁requested ▁by ▁the ▁German ▁government ▁as ▁ ▁West ▁German ▁authorities ▁were ▁liberal izing ▁the ▁attitude ▁towards ▁the ▁commun ist ▁b loc ▁and ▁East ▁Germany