Federal election: Wagenknecht fights with the “Peace Party” to enter parliament

The Sahra Wagenknecht alliance has all conceivable topics in its program for the federal election – from the tax on high incomes to restructuring the pension system to curbing migration. All of this was decided at the party conference in Bonn. But nothing mobilizes the supporters of the former left-wing politician Wagenknecht like the topic of war and peace, often peppered with broadsides against the alliance with the USA.

This became apparent in the first minutes in Bonn, when black and white images from the 1980s flickered across the screen behind the stage: the former peace movement in the fight against US nuclear missiles and the NATO double decision, very close to the conference venue , in the Bonn Hofgarten. It was evident in the thunderous applause when Bundestag member Sevim Dagdelen shouted: “Ami go home!” And it was reflected in the speech of the “Chancellor candidate” Wagenknecht herself.

Fundamental criticism of the Russia sanctions

In her 53-minute all-round attack, Wagenknecht attacked the other parties harshly, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck (Greens) and CDU leader Friedrich Merz, the AfD. She was outraged by poor education and housing shortages and called for a different economic and energy policy. Wagenknecht received the first big cheers from the 600 members in the World Conference Center Bonn with her fundamental criticism of the economic sanctions against Russia.

Sanctions were imposed after the Russian annexation of Crimea and were tightened after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. But Wagenknecht said the sanctions had “nothing at all to do with the Ukraine war.” Their view of things: “The sanctions have nothing to do with morality, they have nothing to do with human rights, they have nothing to do with love of peace, they are simply an economic stimulus program for the US economy and a killer program for German and European companies.”

“Don’t stumble into a new arms race”

Wagenknecht saved the topic of peace for the finale of her speech, after the criticism of the Corona policy, after the complaint about restricted freedom of expression and the praise for the abolition of fact checks on Facebook. Anyone who wants to avert “crazy mind games” for a Germany capable of war needs the BSW. “We must not stagger into a new arms race now,” said Wagenknecht.

The other parties competed to outdo each other when it came to arms spending, including the AfD. “Perhaps the AfD should call itself “Armament for Donald” instead of Alternative for Germany,” said the BSW boss, referring to the future US President Trump. But wars would not be ended through arms deliveries, but through negotiations.

“With Taurus-Merz, with Umfaller-Olaf, with the wild sofa warriors from the Greens and with the new arms fanatics from the AfD, peace in Germany would actually be in great danger,” she shouted. “This is also why we need a strong BSW in the next Bundestag.” The last sentence was almost lost in the loud applause.

People don’t talk about the left

That day, the approximately 600 BSW members were repeatedly torn from their seats, applauding enthusiastically while standing. They repeatedly confirmed to each other that the BSW was the only party that stood up for the people, for more social security, for a new economic course and for peace – a cross shot against Wagenknecht’s former party, the Left, all of that also wants, but is practically hushed up.

In the European elections in June 2024, the BSW achieved 6.2 percent of the vote, and even achieved double-digit results in the state elections in Thuringia, Saxony and Brandenburg. The party also governs in Thuringia and Brandenburg. BSW General Secretary Christian Leye said something historic had been achieved.

“Wind blows in our faces”

But Leye admitted: “The wind has been blowing in our faces in public for some time now.” Nationwide, the party is now weakening in the polls: Most recently, the BSW was at 4 to 6 percent. And although the federal executive board has chosen Wagenknecht as the “candidate for chancellor,” it is more about actually making it over the five percent hurdle.

“Of course people are trying to write us down now, because we are indeed a real danger to the political mainstream,” says co-chair Amira Mohamed Ali. “Large parts of the media do not report objectively, but rather campaign more or less openly for the CDU/CSU, SPD, FDP and the Greens.”

However, it is also clear that everything is no longer running smoothly internally at BSW. Mohamed Ali makes it clear at Phoenix that her party is not a bed of roses financially. “We don’t yet receive state party funding. That makes it a little more difficult for us.”

And there are arguments, including on the sidelines of the Bonn party conference. The Hamburg BSW members Dejan Lazic and Norbert Weber, who founded their own regional association without the approval of the federal leadership and are now to be expelled from the party, were turned away at the entrance.

There is a lack of democratic structures in the party, there is hardly any opposition, and the party leadership fills key positions with its own people, Weber said outside the door. “I don’t know how this will continue,” he added. “What we definitely don’t need is an AfD 2.0. And everything is heading in that direction.” He related this to the positions on migration. However, they hardly played a role in the debate at the party conference.