Thuringian BSW MPs resign from the party – conflict with Wagenknecht escalates

For weeks you could watch the BSW losing itself in a destructive battle of direction. At its temporary end, there was one question in particular: Can you be in the Sahra Wagenknecht alliance without standing behind Sahra Wagenknecht?

Ten members of the Thuringian BSW now had to answer this question with “no”. Including the chairwoman Katja Wolf. On Friday, the group members appeared together in front of the press. They said they ran for Thuringia – and not for “constant defensive battles” or “flirting with right-wing radicals”. That is why they are now leaving the BSW.

This text comes from the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung.

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There are now only two members of the alliance in the Thuringian state parliament. How exactly the blackberry coalition will continue remains to be seen. But the ex-BSWers also want to continue to support them. So for now it remains in place.

“Thuringia has become a plaything,” says Katja Wolf

But one thing is clear: this step was inevitable. Wagenknecht has been urging the Thuringian BSW to leave the coalition for weeks. She was prepared to sacrifice government responsibility in Thuringia just to curry favor with voters in Saxony-Anhalt with anti-establishment bluster. A fairly sensibly governing coalition of BSW, CDU and SPD did not fit in with what Wagenknecht promised there: namely, sending what she called the old parties into the desert. Katja Wolf is right when she says: "Thuringia has become a plaything."

In general, many of Wagenknecht's statements had apparently become unbearable for the MPs in Thuringia. That is also understandable. Wagenknecht repeatedly pushes her theses far beyond the limits of seriousness. She recently described parts of the federal government as "right-wing extremist", while she herself spoke to the right-wing extremist Björn Höcke in order to negotiate with him about the future of Thuringia. That too went over the heads of the regional association. Quite a few people saw this as crossing the line.

Only a matter of time

Katja Wolf felt the same way. In the past few weeks, one could observe the finance minister's dilemma: she wanted to continue to govern - but without Wagenknecht. Wolf hardly made any secret of this. She liked to answer questions about her relationship with Wagenknecht a little smugly, scattering information here and there without revealing too much. But always enough to leave no doubt: the relationship between her and Wagenknecht was broken. Her departure from the party that bears the name of the woman with whom she is in constant battle was inevitable.

The MPs who are now leaving are drawing a clear conclusion: they never want to name a party after a person again, they announced in the press conference. Three ex-BSW members who had already resigned on Wednesday are showing them how. They found their own party. It should be called “Your vote counts”. A promise that many members of the BSW can only dream of.

Because the “Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht – Reason and Justice” only fulfills one half of its name, which is: Sahra Wagenknecht. But anyone who is serious about reason will likely have a difficult time here in the future.