Sahra Wagenknecht Party Chapters Advocate for Cooperation with AfD

State chapters of Sahra Wagenknecht's new party, the BSW, are pushing for a political shift in eastern Germany. The BSW's state organizations in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern have jointly called for the election of non-partisan state premiers. Crucially, their proposal includes opening discussions with the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, signaling a potential end to the political 'firewall' that has excluded the AfD from mainstream cooperation.

This move directly supports the strategy of BSW founder Sahra Wagenknecht. She has indicated that the party will pursue such a model in Saxony-Anhalt following the September 6 state election. A similar demand is being made in Thuringia, where the BSW is currently part of the governing coalition with the CDU and SPD.

The BSW's stance in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where elections are scheduled for September 20, had not been clearly defined until now. The joint statement by BSW leaders Peter Schabbel and Thomas Schulze in both states emphasizes that a non-partisan premier would lead to "open discussions and the inclusion of all democratic forces." This position challenges established political norms in Germany, where most major parties maintain a strict separation from the AfD.