Wagenknecht’s party is entering its fourth parliament. But the success could be a disadvantage for Sahra Wagenknecht, according to an expert. The party leader was absent from the election party.
Berlin – The boss herself was not there to celebrate this time: Due to illness, BSW-Founder and namesake Sarah Wagenknecht On Sunday morning, all appointments in Brandenburg were cancelled, and co-chair Amira Mohamed Ali took over the representative duties – including at the election party in the evening.
Sahra Wagenknecht is absent from the election party in Brandenburg: BSW moves into the state parliament
There was plenty of reason for the party leadership to celebrate: With almost 14 percent, the Sahra Wagenknecht alliance is entering the Potsdam state parliament. From a standing start. After the European electionsSaxony and Thuringia, this is the young party’s fourth entry into parliament. “This is an unprecedented success story that must be acknowledged,” says political consultant Johannes Hillje in an interview with IPPEN.MEDIAHowever, success entails certain risks for Sahra Wagenknecht.
“The BSW may even have a chance of participating in the government in Brandenburg. This means that the party has become a power factor,” says Hillje. Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke, whose SPD narrowly emerged as the strongest force in the Brandenburg election, had already made it clear that he wanted to hold talks with the CDU.
Participation in government with SPD and CDU conceivable – similar to Thuringia
However, a black-red grand coalition would not have a majority of its own. And the Greens, previous coalition partners, have not made it into the state parliament again. The SPD and CDU cannot avoid the BSW if they want to avoid a minority government. In Brandenburg, an alliance is emerging that is already taking more concrete shape in Thuringia: a so-called blackberry coalition – black-red-purple.
“Participating in government at the state level can be a disadvantage,” believes expert Johannes Hillje, looking ahead to the 2025 federal election. It is clear that Wagenknecht has ambitions in Berlin. “As of today, it can be assumed that the BSW will also enter the Bundestag,” says Hillje. If the BSW has to demonstrate its governmental competencies in – possibly – two state parliaments, that could be risky for Wagenknecht: “Because then the party will have to make compromises and work with parties that the BSW would otherwise constantly attack. That could damage the credibility of a populist election campaign like the one Sahra Wagenknecht is running.”
Sahra Wagenknecht’s influence at BSW state level: “Authoritarian leadership”
In terms of content, the CDU, SPD and BSW are quite far apart on key issues in both Thuringia and Brandenburg. And: Sahra Wagenknecht has a great deal of influence on the regional associations, which are “led in an authoritarian manner”, as observers say. This is a point that could lead to conflicts during negotiations – and may leave the BSW with a back door open for a completely different strategy: “If the BSW stages its exit from the negotiations and presents itself as particularly steadfast, this could in turn be a ramp for the federal election campaign. Sahra Wagenknecht is certainly capable of this,” commented Johannes Hillje.
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