Sahra Wagenknecht

Wagenknecht said BSW might abstain in a decisive vote for the Minister-President of Saxony-Anhalt, a scenario that could facilitate the election of AfD candidate Ulrich Siegmund. The possibility reignited controversy over the 'Brandmauer'.

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In a podcast, Wagenknecht applied her own definition of the far right to elements of the federal government, notably because of what she described as authoritarianism and militarisation policy.

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The highly restrictive immigration policy advocated by Wagenknecht triggered several resignations from BSW, with some departing members accusing the leadership of moving rhetorically closer to the AfD.

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After narrowly missing the 5 % threshold, BSW initiated several proceedings to obtain a recount. The Federal Constitutional Court rejected an initial immediate legal challenge, and the Bundestag subsequently rejected the election objections.

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At the BSW congress, Wagenknecht acknowledged that the highly restrictive policy for admitting members had been a mistake and had given the impression of a closed association.

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BSW MPs boycotted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's Bundestag speech. The party accused Zelensky of contributing to a spiral of escalation and called for a negotiation strategy.

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The President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany accused Wagenknecht and BSW of fuelling hatred against Israel through their rhetoric concerning the war in Gaza.

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BSW received exceptionally large donations, including several million euros from a donor couple. Experts and media raised questions about oversight mechanisms and transparency within the newly established party.

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Wagenknecht and Alice Schwarzer launched the 'Manifest für Frieden', calling, among other things, for an end to escalating arms deliveries and negotiations with Russia. The associated demonstration was strongly criticised because of the participation of far-right activists.

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Wagenknecht and nine other MPs left Die Linke to prepare the formation of BSW, ultimately depriving Die Linke of its parliamentary group status. The party leadership condemned the split as irresponsible and called on the dissidents to return their seats.

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In a Bundestag speech, Wagenknecht described the Russian invasion as a crime but accused the German government of launching an 'economic war' against its principal energy supplier, provoking a renewed crisis within Die Linke.

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During the pandemic, Wagenknecht triggered substantial controversy by expressing reservations about certain vaccines, particularly mRNA vaccines, and opposing a general vaccination mandate.

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The Aufstehen movement launched around Wagenknecht quickly experienced conflicts over governance, organisation and strategy. In March 2019, she announced her withdrawal from the leadership just months after its launch.

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Following the Cologne events, Wagenknecht stated that people granted refuge who committed serious crimes forfeited their 'Gastrecht'. After Ansbach, she said integration was more difficult than Angela Merkel suggested. These statements triggered a major backlash within Die Linke.

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During Shimon Peres' Bundestag address on Holocaust Remembrance Day, Sahra Wagenknecht and two other Die Linke MPs remained seated at the end while the assembly gave a standing ovation. The gesture triggered strong controversy over her attitude towards Israel and antisemitism.

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