analysis
Sahra Wagenknecht steps down from leadership of the BSW party. But he still wants to have a decisive influence. So is it only the organizational structure that has changed?
Few people expected that Sahra Wagenknecht would announce her retirement from politics this Monday afternoon. The 56 year old man’s desire to be part of this public debate is too great. The disappointment of its supporters would be too great if the party’s founder steps down after less than two years. And BSW’s chances in the five state elections next year will be too small, because Wagenknecht is still the face of the party.
But there are already signs that something is about to change. The party recently gave only a vague answer to the question of whether Wagenknecht would run again for chairman at the federal party conference in December. Instead of “yes” or “no,” it says: Ms. Wagenknecht will continue to play a major role in the future.
Apart from that, the name Wagenknecht must also be removed from the party name. A move announced when the party was founded in January 2024, but also in line with personnel restructuring.
There’s still no way around it
When Wagenknecht and his entourage entered the press conference room this Monday, of course the party founder was in the lead. For previous speaker Amira Mohamed Ali and European parliament member Fabio De Masi, only the positions behind them remain.
Although both should be at the top of the party’s organizational structure as future party leaders, Wagenknecht left no doubt during the press conference that there would be no other way forward. So he wants to retain his seat and cast his vote on the council and the presidium – the party’s two most important committees.
But instead of dealing with party affairs and organizational details as chairman, Wagenknecht wants to head BSW’s basic values commission in the future. He said he wanted to sharpen his party’s profile again. Who else he will be allowed to work with and what their specific duties will be, we don’t know much about that from Wagenknecht at the moment. However, what is clear is that Wagenknecht wants to continue to determine the party’s future direction.
Get out of responsibility?
No longer having responsibility for the affairs of the organization also means no longer being able to assume that responsibility – for example in next year’s state elections. According to the survey, BSW is currently above the five percent threshold in only two of the five upcoming elections – in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Saxony-Anhalt. Unlike before, Wagenknecht no longer has to justify himself in the event of failure.
Wagenknecht, on the other hand, would immediately assume responsibility if BSW entered the Bundestag. The party continues to demand a recount. If this happens and the nearly 9,500 still missing votes for BSW are found, then it is clear to Wagenknecht who will then become head of the parliamentary group: of course him. Wagenknecht also wants to continue forming the party in that role.
So after almost an hour and a half of press conference, the question remains about what exactly will change at BSW in the future. This may primarily be an organization chart.
