Founding a new party costs money, and election campaigns even more so. The entrepreneur Ralph Suikat is supposed to collect the funds for the Wagenknecht project. Who is the new treasurer?
Sahra Wagenknecht needs money for her new alliance, especially if the new party wants to take part in the European elections in June in 2024. The former left-wing politician has won IT entrepreneur Ralph Suikat for the predecessor association “Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht” (BSW). He is supposed to solicit donations as treasurer.
After his studies, Suikat, born in 1965, founded the STP group of companies with a business partner in 1993. He sold his shares in 2016. Since then, he has been involved as a so-called impact investor and advocates for a fair and sustainable economic system. Through an investment company, Suikat holds a portfolio of around 15 companies that, in addition to economic success, also strive for positive effects on society and the environment, as he writes on his homepage.
What does Suikat stand for?
Suikat also advocates for greater taxation of high and very high wealth and supports the Taxmenow (Tax Me Now) initiative. Among other things, this advocates for a reintroduction of the wealth tax for assets worth millions and billions. The Karlsruhe millionaire is also a member of the “Millionaires for humanity” network, which campaigns for more distributive injustice. At the press conference to introduce the BSW association on Monday in Berlin, Suikat made it clear that the aim was not to place additional burdens on medium-sized businesses. Compared to large corporations, medium-sized companies have unfair tax conditions.
All of this was reason enough to seek contact with Wagenknecht, said Suikat. He offered to get involved in the project as an entrepreneur and mentor to start-ups. As treasurer, Suikat assured that he would handle the funds entrusted to him carefully and efficiently. Donations are a “very central success factor” for political work.
What is his own attitude towards money?
In an interview three years ago, Suikat also spoke about his personal attitude towards money. When asked when he made his first million, he told the business magazine “Capital” at the time: “The millions were virtual for a long time because we reinvested the profits in the company. They only became concrete when I sold my company shares in 2016.” He didn’t question his lifestyle before and, after a business success, he even leased two Porsche CayenneTurbos. “Today it’s not a point I’m proud of,” admitted Suikat.
Like Suikat, Wagenknecht also asked for donations for her project on Monday. The founding of the party and the 2024 European election campaign could not be financed from the initiators’ own resources. And the new project will certainly not be sponsored by large corporations, she speculated. She hopes for a leap of faith to support her in the start-up phase.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
