Sahra Wagenknecht, the federal chair of Germany’s left-wing nationalist BSW, has voiced concerns over the party’s struggles ahead of the early federal election.
She cited a lack of funds, a missing election program, and insufficient membership as major hurdles. “We need to push hard for donations,” she said in Berlin, emphasizing that large sums are required to run a successful campaign.
The party is also behind on its election program. Wagenknecht explained that key parts of the program, which were supposed to be developed over a long period, now have to be put together quickly. Additionally, the party faces challenges recruiting new members, with only a small group, mostly from the East, currently on board.
What Wagenknecht didn’t mention was the party’s lack of a national association in every state. On top of that, ongoing interference in coalition talks in Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia has stretched resources even further. Yet, the founder faces even bigger challenges ahead.
Wagenknecht had been a vocal advocate for new elections even before the Ampel coalition officially collapsed. Just last week, she called for a swift breakup of the coalition, urging citizens to vote as soon as possible. However, the coalition delayed the decision, fearing a negative impact on the upcoming elections.
With the government’s collapse, Wagenknecht criticized the delay of elections planned for March, calling it “political bankruptcy.” She argued that the situation was unfair to voters and called for a confidence vote to trigger elections in January.
Despite these calls, the party is facing significant hurdles. It remains unclear whether BSW will be able to field candidates in any federal state. In Brandenburg, the party didn’t even attempt to form direct candidates, and in Thuringia and Saxony, it struggled to find candidates for half of the constituencies. Recent polls show the party’s support has dipped, with Forsa reporting 5%, the Research Group Elections at 6%, and Insa at 7%.
