Berlin – Sahra Wagenknecht‘s BSW party has elected MEP Fabio De Masi and mohamed Ali as its new co-leaders, marking a shift in leadership for the burgeoning political force. The decision came at a party congress where Wagenknecht, who recently stepped down as chair, will now head a new basic values commission. Both De Masi and Ali, both 45, previously served as co-chairs alongside Wagenknecht before the party’s founding and have long been active on the left.
Wagenknecht, addressing the congress, asserted the BSW’s resilience against what she described as opposition from “ruling elites,” and stated, “They will also have to reckon with me in German politics for a long time.” She reiterated core BSW positions, including opposition to conscription and increased arms spending, advocating for negotiations and energy imports from Russia, and a pension system modeled after Austria’s.
In a pointed critique, Wagenknecht accused opposition leaders from the left and Greens of enabling CDU Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s ”incompetence and ‘loudness’,” claiming they are “driving the demolition of the welfare state and the path to a new militarism and authoritarianism.” She warned of growing authoritarianism within Germany, alleging that parties identifying as democratic are increasingly creating “an authoritarian intimidation state.”
Mohamed Ali also criticized the Bundestag’s election audit committee’s rejection of a recount of February’s federal election,calling it “disgraceful” and reaffirming the party’s intention to challenge the decision in the Constitutional Court,citing concerns about counting errors.
General Secretary Christian Leye highlighted the BSW’s opposition to the current coalition’s decisions on military service, stating, “You won’t get our children through the lottery process.” The party’s focus on peace, criticism of NATO, and advocating for Russian energy imports were central themes in the broader discussion about the party’s direction.
Thuringian BSW politician and infrastructure minister Steffen Schütz emphasized the party’s unique position on peace, while also urging unity, stating, “That is our mission, not to wage war against our own critics,” in a veiled reference to internal disputes, including the debate over a potential coalition in Erfurt.
