- Co-head of BSW: US missiles in Germany are a red line
Before the three state elections in Eastern Germany, Sahra Wagenknecht's co-chair of the Alliance, Amira Mohamed Ali, has described the deployment of far-reaching US weapons in Germany as a red line for any potential participation in government. "We will not be in any state government that simply accepts or even endorses the stationing of these missiles," she told the "Rheinische Post". "We, as the BSW, are so firmly against it that we make it a red line for any participation in government."
Saxony's Minister President Michael Kretschmer (CDU) had recently spoken out in favor of the stationing of such weapons. Asked if this would exclude an alliance with the CDU, Mohamed Ali said: "If he insists that the state government share this position, then yes."
At the NATO summit in July, the White House and the German government announced that the USA wants to station weapon systems in Germany again from 2026 onwards, which can reach far into Russia. Named were Tomahawk cruise missiles, SM-6 missiles, and new hypersonic weapons.
BSW: Will not coalition or cooperate with AfD
In the Thuringia state election on September 1, the BSW could become the third strongest force behind AfD and CDU, according to polls. However, there will be no coalition between BSW and AfD, according to the co-chair. "We categorically rule out cooperation with the AfD - not just with Mr. Höcke, but overall," she said, referring to the AfD's top candidate in Thuringia, Bjoern Hoecke.
Important, she said, is to engage with the AfD on content. However, this does not mean cooperation on joint applications or even coalitions, Ali said. That is not an option with a party that is partly far-right.
Elections are taking place in Thuringia, Saxony, and Brandenburg in September.
The US's planned stationing of far-reaching weapons such as Tomahawk cruise missiles and SM-6 missiles in Germany, as announced at the NATO summit, is a major concern for Amira Mohamed Ali, co-chair of the BSW. She has explicitly stated that the BSW will not be part of any government that endorses this deployment.
Given the strong stance of the BSW against the deployment of such weapons, it would be challenging for them to form a coalition with parties that support this, such as Saxony's CDU, whose Minister President Michael Kretschmer is in favor of the stationing.
