The Bundestag election is just around the corner, and the Sahra Wagenknecht alliance is facing a significant drop in popularity. The party’s recent two-day convention in Bonn, which took place on January 12, was marked by a fiery speech by Wagenknecht, in which she criticized the NATO and its war against Russia, using Ukraine as a pawn. However, this came at a time when the party’s popularity was already in decline.
Recent polls have shown a significant drop in support for the BSW, with some estimates as low as 4 percent. This would be a devastating blow to the party, which has struggled to establish itself as a credible alternative to the mainstream parties.
One reason for the party’s decline in popularity may be its decision to form coalitions with the existing political establishment in Thuringia, Saxony, and Brandenburg. This move has been seen as a betrayal of the party’s original ideals and has likely alienated many of its supporters.
Another factor may be the party’s internal structure, which has been criticized for being undemocratic and authoritarian. A recent interview with Friedrich Pürner, a BSW member of the European Parliament, revealed a deep-seated dissatisfaction with the party’s leadership and internal dynamics.
Pürner, a former leader of a Bavarian health authority, criticized the party’s top-down approach, which he said stifles internal debate and dissent. He also accused the party of using “disciplinary measures” to silence critics and of concentrating power in the hands of a small group of leaders.
Andreas Wehr, a co-founder of the Marx-Engels-Zentrum Berlin, wrote an article on the German party landscape, which criticized the BSW for its restrictive structure and authoritarian tendencies. Wehr argued that the party’s decision to forgo a membership base is a deliberate choice to avoid internal conflict and concentrate power in the hands of a few leaders.
The article also highlighted the party’s centralization of power, restrictive membership rules, and lack of democratic participation. Wehr concluded that the BSW’s approach is elitist and undemocratic, and that it has lost touch with its original ideals.
The party’s future remains uncertain, and it is unclear whether it will be able to recover from its current decline in popularity.