A senior politician from the Left party, Gregor Gysi, has expressed the possibility of the “Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance” (BSW) forming a coalition with the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the future.
In an interview with Ippen-Media, Gysi stated, “I can imagine it.” He added, “Sahra has said that the Höcke is an extremist, but the others are conservatively liberal. She is preparing for cooperation with the AfD through such formulations.” Gysi believes that a coalition government in the federal states is a possibility, citing that while Höcke’s extreme views might be a barrier in Thuringia, the AfD could potentially moderate its stance in other states.
Gysi, 77, also announced that he will not be a candidate in the 2029 federal election. “At the next election, I will be 81 and I won’t be running” he said. “That will be the end.” Initially, the Left party veteran had planned to retire in 2025, but changed his mind. “We old ones fight as three silver locks for direct mandates” he joked, referring to himself, Dietmar Bartsch and Bodo Ramelow, who have launched the “Mission Silver Locks” to secure direct mandates for themselves.
Gysi, who has been a driving force behind the Left party, is running in the Berlin-Treptow-Köpenick constituency. The party, which secured 4.9% of the vote in the 2021 federal election, could potentially enter the Bundestag through direct mandates if it wins at least three of them, regardless of its proportion of the national vote.