The Wagenknecht System

In January 2024, a new party was launched with immense media attention: Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht, or BSW for short. Beyond the SED successors, this was intended to establish a more realistic, partially conservative left. Initial electoral successes seemed to prove them right. Author Dr. Friedrich Pürner was a party member until 2025 and joined the European Parliament for the BSW in 2024. The physician was previously head of the health department in Bavaria and became known for his criticism of the Corona policy. Here, he offers a rare insight into the inner workings of this new party. It is about new beginnings, loyalty and power – and rapid disillusionment. Behind the scenes, central decision-making structures, a highly controlled leadership style, and strict intra-party thought patterns prevail. Numerous former Left party members hold the reins firmly, shaping the party according to their ideological ideas and eyeing offices and positions that were previously unattainable for them. Pürner describes his experiences in the 2024 European election campaign and reports on internal tensions from the beginning, high pressure of expectations, and a questionable handling of criticism or dissenting opinions. The result is a very personal report from within a political project – and a contribution to the question of how much intra-party democracy new parties actually allow.

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