Unease as Russia-friendly ‘queen of the elections’ aims for more German poll success

Some see Sahra Wagenknecht’s brand of ‘left conservatism’ as a bulwark against AfD but others see reasons to be warySahra Wagenknecht is not even on the ballot in the upcoming state election in Brandenburg. But her face is plastered on billboards acros…

Wagenknecht party and Fico’s Smer tease alliance, but ‘too soon’ for new EP group  

Germany’s Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) and Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico’s Smer have confirmed a new attempt to strengthen ‘left-conservative’ ties in the European Parliament, but said a new group is still some way off. 

New EU ‘conservative-left’ group could be set up within a year, says Czech MEP

A new conservative left-wing alliance is in the process of forming in the European Parliament, with the potential of officially being established within a year, Czech MEP Ondřej Dostál (non-attached) revealed in an interview for Euractiv.cz. 

Radical left and radical right have become indistinguishable

For as long as the center fails to make its case in a way that galvanizes, there will be many more like Sahra Wagenknecht.

Putin ‘wins’ in eastern Germany

A post-election debate over U.S. missiles and military aid for Ukraine is hampering coalition building in Germany’s east.

Les 5 leçons à tirer des élections régionales dans l’est de l’Allemagne

L’extrême droite ne cesse de progresser dans le pays, malgré les efforts déployés pour l’arrêter.

Anti-immigration leftists have potential to upend German political scene

State election results for Sahra Wagenknecht Allianz mean Russia-leaning populists could play decisive roleIt was, Sahra Wagenknecht declared on the social media platform X on Sunday, “a historic result” achieved from almost a standing start. Within ei…

5 takeaways from Germany’s eastern elections

The far-right Alternative of Germany just keeps rising despite efforts to stop it.

East German states face tough talks to keep far-right out of governments

Promising to uphold the “firewall” against the far-right AfD, the conservative CDU faces difficult coalition talks after state elections in Saxony and Thuringia, where it will be forced to work with left-wing newcomer BSW to form a majority coalition.

German far right set for first major electoral victory since World War II

The far-right Alternative for Germany appeared set to win an election in the eastern German state of Thuringia and is running a close second in Saxony, according to initial forecasts.

Germans vote in state elections set to hand victory to far right

Voters in two former East German states began casting ballots Sunday in elections expected to deal a blow to Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government and deliver big gains for the far-right AfD. Opinion polls have the anti-immigration Alternative for Germa…

Far-left politician calling for peace with Russia makes waves in Germany

A radical far-left politician who wants to make peace with Russia’s Vladimir Putin looks set to play a key role in regional elections in the former East Germany on Sunday. Sahra Wagenknecht, 55, born in communist East Germany to an Iranian father and …

Man sprays paint at German party leader during campaign event

Sahra Wagenknecht attacked while about to speak on stage in run-up to Thuringia and Saxony state electionsThe leader of a breakaway populist leftwing party in Germany, Sahra Wagenknecht, has been sprayed with pink paint while campaigning in elections i…

‘A test case for German democracy’: populists ride high before state elections

Political landscape faces upheaval as far-right AfD and left-conservative BSW expected to perform stronglyThe far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party has plastered the city centre of Erfurt with eye-catching posters of a jet soaring through a…

Putin’s next coup

Elections in three eastern German states are likely to usher in Russia-friendly parties, giving Vladimir Putin a foothold in the country’s politics.

Is Germany’s rising superstar so far left she’s far right?

Sahra Wagenknecht’s brand of “left conservatism” is upending German politics ahead of critical elections in the east.

Bundestag 2025: Wer in Bayern in den Wahlkampf zieht

Bayern ist CSU-Land, das war schon immer so und wird auch 2025 so bleiben. Doch wegen der Wahlrechtsreform muss der Wahlkreis-Platzhirsch um Mandate bangen.

Bundestag 2025: Wer in Thüringen in den Wahlkampf zieht

Dem BSW fehlt es in dem Freistaat an Personal für den Bundestag. Sahra Wagenknecht könnte sich in Thüringen aufstellen lassen — schließlich hat sei dort die größten Chancen auf ein Direktmandat.

Bundestag 2025: Wer in Sachsen in den Wahlkampf zieht

In Sachsen war die AfD 2021 stärkste Kraft. Jetzt beschäftigt das Bundesland die bevorstehenden Landtagswahlen im September. Die CDU liegt knapp vor der AfD — aber das könnte sich noch ändern.

Bundestag 2025: Wer in Baden-Württemberg in den Wahlkampf zieht

Mit 102 Abgeordneten ist Baden-Württemberg nach Nordrhein-Westfalen und Bayern das meist vertretene Bundesland im Parlament. Von 38 Wahlkreisen hat die CDU bei der vergangenen Bundestagswahl 33 gewonnen, vier gingen an die Grünen und einer an die SPD.

Germany’s East faces populist big bang at regional elections 

Eastern Germany could be on the brink of a tectonic shift in the upcoming state elections, with the far-right AfD and the left-populist BSW predicted to make unprecedented gains, fuelling fears of future ungovernability in large parts of the country.

Bundestag 2025: Wer in Nordrhein-Westfalen in den Wahlkampf zieht

Wer aus dem bevölkerungsreichstem Bundesland kommt, kann Kanzler, heißt es. Das galt für Konrad Adenauer — wird es auch für den nächsten Bundeskanzler gelten?”

Bundestag 2025: Wer in Schleswig-Holstein in den Wahlkampf zieht

Das nördlichste Bundesland gilt als Wahlorakel: Wer Pinneberg gewinnt, stellt im Bund den Kanzler. Das gilt seit den 50ern.

TEST TEST Bundestag 2025: Wer in Niedersachsen in den Wahlkampf zieht

BERLIN — Wer es in Niedersachsen schafft, kann Kanzler, Bundespräsident oder EU-Kommissionspräsidentin werden. Immerhin ist das Flächenland nach Nordrhein-Westfalen und Bayern der drittgrößte Landesverband im Bundestag. Die SPD Zwei Sozialdemokraten haben ihren Abschied angekündigt: Susanne Mittag und Bernd Westphal. Weitere Abgänge werden nicht erwartet. Dafür einen Zugang, der dringend einen Wahlkreis sucht: Boris Pistorius. Der Verteidigungsminister war 2023 ins Kabinett aus dem niedersächsischen Landtag berufen […]

Bundestag 2025: Wer in Niedersachsen in den Wahlkampf zieht

In 14 Monaten wird im Bund gewählt. Die Landesverbände haben mit der Vorbereitung auf die Wahl begonnen — wir tauchen ein in die Welt der Wahlkreise.

Poised for victory, Germany’s center right dithers

The country’s ascendant Christian Democratic Union remains utterly baffled as to how it might wield power.

Leftists’ last-minute call for von der Leyen vote postponement

Two motions to postpone the vote on Ursula von der Leyen’s presidency were filed last night – one from non-attached leftist Germany’s Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) and another from The Left group in the European Parliament.

Germany’s ‘Don’ Habeck girds for chancellor battle

After Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock took herself out of the running, Economy Minister Robert Habeck is the likely chancellor candidate for the struggling Greens.

New EU left group fails, Wagenknecht blames ‘majority groups’

Talks to form an alternative left group in the European Parliament have failed, Germany’s Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) confirmed on Wednesday evening, as its lead candidate Fabio de Masi blamed last-minute dropouts and the “powerful levers” of “maj…

Wagenknecht’s new EU Parliament group in question as Italy’s M5S pick The Left

Plans for a new left-wing group in the European Parliament floated by Germany’s Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) could be in peril, as Italy’s Five Star Movement applied to join the existing Left group despite being rumoured to be in talks with BSW. 

How to stop Europe’s drift to the right | Letters

Alan Mitcham says leftwing parties must make ending war their priority, Gillian Homeri encourages citizens to be more politically active and Barry Kushner says centrist parties must reach across the class divideI read your reports on the European elect…

Germany’s Russia-friendly parties skip Zelenskyy speech

The Ukrainian leader gave a rousing speech in the Bundestag. But lawmakers for the far-right Alternative for Germany and Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht boycotted.

EU vote humiliates Scholz’s German coalition

European Parliament election rout renews questions about whether Berlin government will survive.

German conservatives first, far-right AfD second in EU election: Early projection

Alternative for Germany beats Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats.

Ukraine-Angriff auf Russland auch mit westlichen Waffen?

Das Briefing dazu, wie sich Entscheidungen in Brüssel auf Sie auswirken. Mit dem Wissen des größten Newsrooms der europäischen Hauptstadt. Im Browser anzeigen oder hier anhören von JÜRGEN KLÖCKNER mit JULIUS BRINKMANN und LAURA HÜLSEMANN DIE TOP-THEMEN — Russiagate weitet sich aus: Ermittler stürmten heute Büros im Europäischen Parlament. Unter Verdacht steht ein früherer Mitarbeiter […]

The mystery of Europe’s new ‘left conservative’ group 

The aspirations of Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW), Germany’s rising ‘left-conservative’ party, to form a new group in the European Parliament remain shrouded in mystery, as other leftists seem, so far, to keep their distance.

Could Germany’s new left-wing conservative party seduce AfD’s voters in European elections?

A newcomer to German politics, BSW was formed in January of this year but has already won its first victory in the right-wing hotspot, Thuringia. Experts predict that the party could seduce far-right voters in upcoming European elections.

Rogue German left party says support for new EU Parliament group sealed

BSW, Germany’s youngest left party, probably has enough support to create and lead a new group in the European Parliament after the June elections, lead candidate Fabio De Masi confirmed on Wednesday (24 April), opening the door to “progressive forces”…

Germany’s rebel Wagenknecht plots new left-wing group in EU Parliament

With the new German party BSW projected to become the biggest left-wing delegation in the European Parliament after June’s EU elections, its leader, Sahra Wagenknecht, insinuated on Tuesday (20 January) that she will try to create a new left-wing parli…

Can Europe’s new ‘conservative left’ persuade voters to abandon the far right? | Cas Mudde

Sahra Wagenknecht’s new party aims to transform German politics – but like its peers across western Europe, it may struggleGermany’s favourite “firebrand politician”, Sahra Wagenknecht, has finally launched her long-awaited new party, the awkwardly nam…

In Germany, the anti-immigrant left is on the rise. Will it hold back the far right – or help it? | Peter Kuras

Well-known MP Sahra Wagenknecht has announced plans for a new party that could shift the fragile balance of German politicsSahra Wagenknecht is a 54-year-old politician who, until recently, was a member of the struggling leftwing party Die Linke. She i…

Germany’s left-wing rebel launches populist party to run in EU elections

An influential German leftist politician launched a new populist movement on Monday (23 October), hoping for European election success next June on a platform opposing EU integration and in favour of cheap Russian energy.