The BSW party, led by Sahra Wagenknecht, fell short of the 5% threshold needed to enter the Bundestag, garnering just 4.97% of the vote. Wagenknecht is exploring legal challenges to the election results, citing potential issues with overseas voting and procedural delays affecting German citizens abroad. Reports emerged of overseas voters, particularly those affected by postal strikes in Belgium, facing difficulties in casting their ballots. Concerns were also raised about the polling institute Forsa's reported polling numbers, which Wagenknecht believes may have dissuaded voters from supporting her party.
"The question arises as to the legal validity of the election results," Wagenknecht said, claiming her party missed out on the Bundestag by just over 130,000 votes.
Wagenknecht raised a particular issue with overseas voting after multiple reports from the German diaspora highlighted that issues with receiving or mailing in their ballots had prevented them from participating in the election.
Some 210,297 German citizens living abroad had registered on the electoral roll by last Wednesday, according to Die Zeit. It remains unclear how many did not cast their vote due to procedural delays.
Germany's Ambassador to the UK Miguel Berger stated that "deadlines were calculated too tightly and the procedures are too bureaucratic" after he was unable to vote due to postal delays.
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