In Germany, political parties are accelerating their preparations for the early federal elections scheduled for 23 February. The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), a new leftist party set to participate in its first federal election, finalized its election program during a party conference in Bonn.<\/p>\n
The conference began with a short film displayed on the screen behind the lectern. It featured black-and-white photographs from the 1981 peace demonstration in Bonn\u2019s Hofgarten, where hundreds of thousands protested against NATO\u2019s Dual-Track Decision. \u201cHistory was written here. We are continuing it,\u201d the film declared.<\/p>\n
The Dual-Track Decision involved NATO\u2019s plan to modernize its nuclear arsenal by deploying U.S. Cruise Missiles and Pershing II missiles in Europe while simultaneously pursuing arms control negotiations with the USSR. If successful, these negotiations would render the missile deployments unnecessary.<\/p>\n
\u2018Hamburg opposition\u2019 to Wagenknecht excluded from the conference<\/strong><\/p>\n Katja Wolf, Thuringia\u2019s co-chairwoman and occasional critic of BSW leader Sahra Wagenknecht, addressed the conference. She praised the party\u2019s achievements as \u201cabsolutely impressive\u201d and described the BSW as the \u201clast democratic hope,\u201d particularly in eastern Germany. Wolf expressed satisfaction with the \u201crespectable\u201d results in Thuringia, despite occasional tensions between the federal executive committee and the state organization.<\/p>\n However, the situation was different for the so-called \u201cBSW rebels\u201d from Hamburg. This group had recently protested the party\u2019s strict admission policies, spoken to the media, and established their own regional association. As a result, the federal executive committee moved to expel members Dijan Lazic and Norbert Weber. Although their membership rights had already been revoked, Lazic and Weber traveled to Bonn for what Lazic termed \u201cpeace talks.\u201d According to the Berliner Zeitung<\/em>, security denied them entry, and they were surrounded by a crowd of journalists and cameramen.<\/p>\n The departure of Torsten Teichert, a former SPD and Left Party member from Hamburg and one of the BSW\u2019s founders, also unsettled the party. In a letter addressed to \u201cdear Sahra,\u201d Teichert accused Wagenknecht of \u201cdeceiving herself and others\u201d and secretly sympathizing with AfD ideas. He claimed that Wagenknecht was \u201ccausing a new split on the left\u201d and argued that leftists who rejected smugness would have to become \u201cmodern conservatives.\u201d<\/p>\n The AfD: A target for speakers<\/strong><\/p>\n Despite internal tensions, the conference proceeded harmoniously, as the party leadership had hoped. The election program was approved by a large majority of the 600 members present. Key demands included the resumption of Russian gas supplies via the Nord Stream pipeline, the reintroduction of a wealth tax, a minimum pension, and a ban on mobile phones in primary schools. Additionally, the party executive board passed an urgent motion to recognize the newly established Peace, Reason, and Justice Foundation as a party-affiliated organization.<\/p>\n According to the Berliner Zeitung<\/em>, the BSW aims to focus on swing voters during the election campaign, particularly those considering the AfD but not yet part of its core electorate. This strategy likely explains the aggressive criticism of the AfD by many speakers at the conference.<\/p>\n The debate between AfD chancellor candidate Alice Weidel and American billionaire Elon Musk appeared to galvanize the BSW. Secretary General Christian Leye labeled the AfD as \u201cuseful idiots of the system,\u201d arguing that their policies serve corporations and the wealthy due to Musk\u2019s support. Co-chair Amira Mohamed Ali remarked, \u201cThey especially hate us,\u201d referring to the far-right competition.<\/p>\n Oliver Ruhnert, Berlin\u2019s top candidate and former manager of football club Union Berlin, drew parallels between the AfD and the neo-Nazi NPD.<\/p>\n Mountaineer: U.S. troops and nuclear weapons out!<\/strong><\/p>\n BSW Bundestag member Sevim Da\u011fdelen called for the withdrawal of all U.S. troops and nuclear weapons from Germany. \u201cWe can no longer afford 37,000 U.S. soldiers in Germany. That\u2019s why we say: Let the Yanks go home,\u201d she declared. Da\u011fdelen also opposed the deployment of U.S. medium-range missiles in Germany, stating, \u201cWe don\u2019t want a war against Russia from German soil; we want peace with Russia.\u201d Her speech earned applause from the delegates.<\/p>\n \u201cThe vassalage of German governments to the U.S. must finally come to an end,\u201d Da\u011fdelen argued, emphasizing that Germany \u201cdeserves sovereignty.\u201d<\/p>\n Wagenknecht slams AfD: \u2018Weidel is Musk\u2019s fangirl\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n In her speech, Wagenknecht reflected positively on her party\u2019s first year, describing it as a source of pride. She highlighted the BSW\u2019s emphasis on peace in coalition agreements in Brandenburg and Thuringia. Addressing critics, she said, \u201cYour anger honors us; your anger encourages us.\u201d<\/p>\n Wagenknecht acknowledged the challenges of the election campaign for a young party, noting that many voters would cast tactical ballots. However, she expressed confidence that the BSW would secure seats in the Bundestag in its first election.<\/p>\n She criticized AfD leader Alice Weidel\u2019s proposal to allocate 5% of GDP to armaments, calling it \u201carming for Donald [Trump].\u201d Wagenknecht also mocked Weidel\u2019s relationship with Musk, labeling her a \u201csubmissive fan\u201d of the billionaire.<\/p>\n \u2018Sanctions serve American interests, not Ukraine\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n Wagenknecht argued that Germany needs affordable energy, not empty campaign promises. She accused the Greens of being \u201cnauseatingly war-drunk\u201d and criticized the German government\u2019s alliance with the United States. According to her, the economic sanctions imposed on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine were not motivated by morality or human rights but by U.S. economic interests.<\/p>\n \u201cThe sanctions are an economic stimulus program for the U.S. economy and a murder program for German and European companies,\u201d she claimed. Wagenknecht urged Germany to prioritize the lowest energy prices over ideology or double standards.<\/p>\n BSW aims to revive the \u2018German model\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n The party\u2019s election program focuses on restoring economic prosperity through the \u201cGerman model\u201d\u2014a social market economy with a strong SME sector, successful industrial companies, and social cohesion. Wagenknecht told RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland<\/em> (RND), \u201cThirty years ago, many things worked better in Germany than they do today.\u201d<\/p>\n The program pledges to preserve Germany\u2019s industrial value creation, automotive production, export-oriented engineering, and medium-sized world market leaders. It also proposes transforming state-supported companies into \u201cinnovation-friendly association companies\u201d and creating an industry fund to support start-ups with patient capital.<\/p>\n The BSW advocates for consumer relief measures, including the abolition of VAT on basic foodstuffs and a nationwide repair bonus. It also calls for higher taxes on large fortunes and incomes well above the average, while offering tax relief for gross incomes up to \u20ac90,000 annually. Additional proposals include abolishing statutory health insurance contributions and increasing pensions by \u20ac120 per month to offset inflation.<\/p>\n Closing speech by Lafontaine<\/strong><\/p>\n Oskar Lafontaine, the 81-year-old former SPD and Left Party politician, delivered the conference\u2019s closing speech, which ended half an hour early. He emphasized the importance of Russian energy for German industry and criticized the US for its role in the Nord Stream pipeline explosion. \u201cRussia is a war criminal, but we shouldn\u2019t buy gas from the U.S. either,\u201d he argued.<\/p>\n Lafontaine highlighted the BSW\u2019s unique stance on peace, disarmament, and social justice. He dismissed Weidel\u2019s armaments proposal, accusing her of poor calculations, and condemned the Gaza tragedy as \u201cWestern nihilism.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In Germany, political parties are accelerating their preparations for the early federal elections scheduled for 23 February. The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), a new leftist party set to participate in its first federal election, finalized its election program during a party conference in Bonn. The conference began with a short film displayed on the screen […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7213,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[1483,3088,2454,4504,543,207,4837,683,1575,3087,659,822],"class_list":["post-7212","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe","tag-afd","tag-alice-weidel","tag-bsw","tag-federal-elections","tag-germany","tag-nato","tag-oskar-lafontaine","tag-russia","tag-sahra-wagenknecht","tag-sahra-wagenknecht-alliance-bsw","tag-sanctions","tag-ukraine"],"yoast_head":"\n