Far-left parties Die Basis and BSW to cooperate in Berlin elections

In a significant move ahead of the Berlin House of Representatives election, the state association of the party Die Basis has announced it will recommend its supporters vote for the Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW). This decision signals a deepening political alignment between the two parties, which share common ground on several key issues.

Josephine Thyrêt and Alexander King, the state chairpersons for BSW in Berlin, alongside Dieter Bonitz and Carola Muysers, the state chairman and treasurer for Die Basis, respectively, made the joint announcement. They stated that the parties represent important common concerns and intend to extend their collaboration beyond the election period.

The cooperation will focus on areas including peace policy, addressing the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, and promoting direct democracy. Die Basis cited a high degree of agreement with BSW on these three policy areas as the basis for their recommendation and future collaboration.

Neither Die Basis nor BSW currently has representation in the Berlin House of Representatives. Die Basis, founded in 2020 amid protests against COVID-19 measures, failed to collect the 2,000 required signatures to be eligible for the September 20th election. BSW, meanwhile, has been polling around three percent, falling short of the five percent threshold needed to enter the state parliament.