Calls are growing for Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, the Verfassungsschutz, to assess the activities of the recently formed political alliance, Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW). Several politicians have voiced concerns regarding the group’s alignment and potential impact on Germany’s constitutional order.
Moritz Körner, a Member of the European Parliament for the Free Democratic Party (FDP), stated in an interview with “Der Spiegel” that BSW’s actions appear to be directed against the principles of a liberal democratic state. He warned that those who show disdain for the rule of law and flirt with radical and authoritarian forces are positioning themselves at the margins of the democratic system and urged the Verfassungsschutz to investigate the alliance to determine if it poses a genuine threat to the democratic order.
Hannah Neumann, a Green Party Member of the European Parliament, echoed this sentiment, advocating for close observation of BSW’s statements and actions. Gordon Hoffmann, General Secretary of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Brandenburg, went further, characterizing BSW as a “security risk” and a potential gateway for extremism.
These calls follow several incidents that have raised concerns. Notably, BSW’s official X (formerly Twitter) account published a message of solidarity with a pro-Russian propagandist currently on an EU sanctions list. The alliance subsequently distanced itself from the post and removed it. Further concerns arose from Brandenburg, where BSW expressed support for a local association whose chairwoman and a member are subject to arrest warrants based on suspicion of terrorist financing related to the conflict in Eastern Ukraine.