Status: 03/22/2023 12:08 p.m
In addition to their parliamentary allowances, Wagenknecht is said to have earned around 750,000 euros in book and speaking fees. Left leader Wissler sees a problem in this: the work in parliament must have priority for Wagenknecht, she said.
After yesterday the additional income of the former left parliamentary group leader Sahra Wagenknecht became known, criticism came from the party leadership. “When MPs have tens of thousands of euros in extra income and even take money from the Swiss financial industry, plus well-paid podiums and lectures in business, that’s a problem,” said Linken boss Janine Wissler to the newspapers of the Funke media group.
Members of the Bundestag should do their work in parliament, in committees and in the constituency, and left-wing politicians should also be present at strikes and protests. “That has to be a priority, that also applies to Sahra Wagenknecht.”
High earnings from her book and speeches
Last year, Wagenknecht earned around 750,000 euros in book and speaking fees in addition to her parliamentary allowance, as can be seen from published mandatory information for the Bundestag, about which the “Spiegel” had reported. Of this, however, a good EUR 721.00 alone was the gross fee for her bestseller “The Self-Righteous” – a book in which she settled accounts with so-called lifestyle leftists and parts of her own party.
In addition to the book fee, payments from Burda Forward GmbH, Munich (6420 euros gross), Swiss Rock Asset Management AG, Zurich (10,000 euros gross) and the Efficiency Club Zurich (approx. 4000 euros gross) are listed for the past year Cancellation fee from DekaBank (7735 euros gross). For 2023, almost 10,000 euros gross are listed by the supporters of the debate magazine “Swiss Month” for a salon evening in Zurich.
In 2021, Wagenknecht received 14,280 euros gross for a contribution to an entrepreneurs’ day in Switzerland as well as 10,000 euros gross from the Swiss Institute for International Research (SIAF) and 9630 euros gross from the Focus Online Group GmbH, Munich. Wagenknecht’s office confirmed the income to “Spiegel”.
Wagenknecht in conflict with the party
The deputy is controversial on the left because she is considering founding a new rival party. The leaders of the Left Party asked Wagenknecht on Monday to immediately distance themselves from their plans. The fact that Wagenknecht was playing publicly with the idea of founding a party was “damaging to the party” and “disrespectful to the many thousands of local members,” said Left Party leader Martin Schirdewan.
Wagenknecht wants to make a decision by the end of the year. In an interview with “Stern” she rejected the accusation that she was harming the left with her public mind games. “Unfortunately, the left destroyed itself without me,” said Wagenknecht. Wagenknecht added that it would be difficult for her to be used in the election campaign. “I can’t campaign for a left that isn’t even ready to support a big peace rally without bending over backwards,” she said.
In doing so, she referred to the one she helped to initiate Rally marking the anniversary of the Russian attack on Ukraine in February. The left-wing had criticized the call and the rally because of the lack of distancing from Russia and the lack of differentiation from right-wing forces.