Commentary on the party conference of the “Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht”

The “Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance” took a clear position at its party conference – for example against rearmament and for social redistribution. The alliance wants to change politics, but also feeds anti-democratic impulses, says Uwe Jahn.

Sahra Wagenknecht wants to change politics in Germany. That could happen. Why? Because Wagenknecht can deal with the resentment and anger that exists in this country.

It starts with the social question. The “Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance” wants to stop the division in society with a social policy of redistribution. Small incomes should be sufficient, education policy should give children more opportunities than today, the minimum wage should increase, and pensions should last for life.

Recently, the gap between the poor and the super-rich in this country has become ever wider. That’s why Wagenknecht wants to steal money from corporations and millionaires in order to finance their social policies. The Left wants that too, but Wagenknecht has the polls on her side. Anyone who is angry because they don’t have enough can feel understood by her.

Disarmament instead of rearmament

Anyone who finds it depressing that Germany is supplying weapons to Ukraine will also be well served by Wagenknecht: disarmament instead of rearmament. There is traditionally strong support for this in Germany.

For Wagenknecht this means: an immediate ceasefire and a stop to arms deliveries to Ukraine. In effect, this means handing Ukraine over to Russia. She doesn’t say why Russia should agree to peace with a defenseless Ukraine. If such simplifications continue to become common practice, it will be very difficult to even discuss complex problems in the general public.

Theses that the AfD also puts forward

Finally, we have to talk about the very own populism of Wagenknecht and her people: the claim that in Germany you are not allowed to express your opinion openly. Or Corona skeptics would be vilified – that’s exactly what the AfD does.

The commonality: Wagenknecht and AfD are constantly expressing their opinions and in the same breath claiming that this is no longer allowed. There is also the assumption that politicians are arrogant. Anyone who acts as arrogantly and speaks so disparagingly about their competitors as Wagenknecht and her colleagues do exposes themselves as arrogant.

Dangerous tendencies

Now the conclusion: The “Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance” could change Germany. In terms of social policy, this could even be a win. However, with her positions on Russia policy, with her victim myth in the public debate and with her condescension towards those who take political responsibility, she feeds anti-democratic impulses. This is dangerous. And it should be an incentive for the other parties to do better – to explain their policies better, to reduce bureaucracy better, to distribute the burden better. That would already achieve a lot.