parties
Wagenknecht starts: What does this mean for German politics?
Sahra Wagenknecht is one of the best-known left-wing politicians. photo
© Britta Pedersen/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa
The “Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance” is presenting itself in Berlin today. A separate party will soon follow the current left-wing icon. The consequences could be far-reaching. But a flop is also conceivable.
Anyone who goes to the polls in 2024 could find a new party on the ballot. The “Alliance “Sahra Wagenknecht” is being presented today as an association. The long-time left-wing politician’s own party would be the next step. The 54-year-old thus seals the break with her comrades, but she doesn’t just target them. Many people felt like they were out of place No longer represented by any party, says Wagenknecht. It is time to create something new. And: She wants “real power”. What has happened so far and what will happen next? The most important answers.
Why does Wagenknecht found a party?
Wagenknecht is one of the best-known faces of her current party, Die Linke, but she has repeatedly gone against the grain. Born in Jena in 1969, the daughter of an Iranian father and a German mother joined the SED in 1989. As a member of the “Communist Platform” in the PDS, she initially praised the GDR in retrospect. From 2015 to 2019 she was co-leader of the Bundestag parliamentary group, but was often at odds with the party leadership.
For health reasons, Wagenknecht resigned from the position and resumed the role of commentator from the sidelines. In 2021 she took aim at what she called the “lifestyle” left with the book “The Self-Righteous”. The book is a bestseller and she is very well received at public appearances. “It was also a brand from the start,” wrote political scientist Oliver Nachtwey in the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”. Now she is striking out on her own with her political brand core.
What does Wagenknecht want with the party?
She told the magazine “Emma”: “I would also like to be able to say one day: I have really achieved this and that politically. So far I have always been in the opposition. Having real power and being able to implement something is of course something totally different.” It is unclear which partners she would find in other parties whose policies she rejects across the board.
What can voters expect from a Wagenknecht party?
Unlike the Left, Wagenknecht calls for a limit on the number of refugees and the import of cheap fossil energy such as natural gas from Russia. She rejects the Russia sanctions because of the war in Ukraine as well as arms deliveries to Ukraine. While the Left wants to accelerate the fight against climate change, Wagenknecht criticizes that heat pumps and electric cars are only for higher earners. The left-wing politician Gregor Gysi describes her positions as follows: “She wants to mix: social policy like the Left, economic policy like Ludwig Erhard and refugee policy like the AfD.” She herself says: “Many people no longer feel represented by any party and vote for the AfD out of desperation. I think it would be good if these people had a reputable address again.” It has not yet presented a concrete program.
Who goes with Wagenknecht?
In addition to Wagenknecht, a number of fellow campaigners have been announced for the presentation at a press conference in Berlin this Monday: The previous co-chair of the Left faction Amira Mohamed Ali, Wagenknecht’s confidant and parliamentary group colleague Christian Leye, the former managing director of the Left in North Rhine-Westphalia, will be on the podium , Lukas Schön, and the entrepreneur Ralph Suikat take a seat. In the Bundestag faction of the Left, MPs Klaus Ernst, Alexander Ulrich, Sevim Dagdelen and Jessica Tatti are also among her entourage. It is unclear how many members of the Left would switch to a new Wagenknecht party. A majority in the party does not support their positions.
When will the party be founded?
Many on the left do not expect the actual party to be founded until the beginning of 2024 because this would be cheaper for state financial subsidies. Beforehand, the “Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance” should do the preparatory work and collect donations. The association “BSW – For Reason and Justice” has already been registered by Wagenknecht’s confidants. The statutes make it clear that the association “does not seek to participate in state elections with its own candidates.” However, he could “support the activities of existing political parties or the founding of political parties”.
How do you even start a party?
The Federal Ministry of the Interior writes: “A party can basically come into being in two ways, namely by founding or by converting an already existing association into a party.” When founding a company, it must decide not only on statutes but also on a program. Parties are more than an association or a citizens’ initiative; the Basic Law assigns them a special role “in the formation of the political will of the people.” Because the constitution considers them important, they receive state support – if they have a minimum of success in elections. They then receive 83 cents annually for each vote, plus 45 cents for every euro from membership or elected representatives contributions or donations.
What does the new party mean for the left?
The Left only achieved 4.9 percent of the votes and three direct mandates in the 2021 federal election. It currently has 38 MPs. If Wagenknecht and Co. leave, they can no longer continue as a faction, but only as a group. The most recent state election results were also very weak at 2 to 3 percent. The chairmen Martin Schirdewan and Janine Wissler are hoping for a “comeback” when the dispute over the direction with Wagenknecht is finally over. However, the new party could also take away votes from the left.
And what does that mean for the other parties?
According to a new survey by the Insa Institute for “Bild am Sonntag”, 27 percent of people in Germany could imagine voting for a Wagenknecht party. Whether it really exploits its potential depends on the actual program and whether the party can really establish itself and organize itself nationwide. The competition with the AfD, which Wagenknecht also formulated, is clear. This represents similar positions on migration or when criticizing Russia sanctions. The goals differ in social, tax and European policy.