"Sahra Wagenknecht, one of Germany's prominent and polarising political figures, has announced that she is stepping down as chairwoman of the Germany's newest political party which bears her name, the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance ( Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht - BSW). Her decision marks a pivotal moment for the party she founded just last year. But while Wagenknecht is relinquishing her formal leadership role, she is not retreating from the political stage."
"In her statement, Wagenknecht cited the party's disappointing result in the 2025 federal election - where BSW narrowly missed the five percent threshold for Bundestag representation - as a key reason for her decision. She explained that the demands of day-to-day party management had worn her down and that she wished to "have her head free" for tasks that would truly help the BSW."
"In addition, BSW is currently struggling with declining poll numbers and a number of internal disagreements, up to and including trouble agreeing on a new name for the party. Earlier this month, the party's state chair in Hesse, Oliver Jeschonnek, resigned over concerns about the party's direction and internal style of debate. And in Brandenburg, internal clashes over media reforms threaten the stability of the coalition government of which it forms a part."
Sahra Wagenknecht stepped down as chairwoman of the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht - BSW) after the party narrowly missed the five percent threshold in the 2025 federal election. She cited exhaustion from day-to-day party management and said she wants to "have her head free" to lead a new Core Values Commission focused on strategic, substantive, and programmatic work. Wagenknecht will remain politically active but relinquish formal leadership. BSW faces falling polls, internal disagreements including debate over a new name, recent high-profile resignations, and coalition tensions in Brandenburg over media reform.
Read at The Local Germany
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