Many in the East view BSW as competent for leadership.
In the lead-up to the state elections in the eastern region, the Wagenknecht Party is enjoying a surge in popularity. Recent polls by Forsa reveal that a majority of people in the newly formed states consider the BSW trustworthy for handling government issues if they were to form a coalition government.
However, the picture is different in the western states. During the state elections in Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg in September, the Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) is likely to secure double-digit results and potentially enter the state parliaments, according to polls. With the other parties rejecting coalitions with the AfD and government formation potentially challenging, the BSW is emerging as a potential coalition partner.
In the eastern states, 55% of the people trust the new party to contribute to the resolution of the states' issues, as per a Forsa survey for the magazine "Stern". Conversely, 36% have reservations, and 9% are undecided. In the western states, trust in the BSW is scarce, with only 37% believing they can effectively govern in the eastern states, while 54% express doubts, and 12% remain undecided.
When considering the entire country, 37% view a government presence of the Wagenknecht Party positively, whereas 52% express negative sentiments, and 11% are undecided. The responses vary significantly depending on political affiliation: BSW supporters believe the party can govern effectively by 95%, while AfD supporters do so by 65%. Skepticism prevails among supporters of other parties, such as the SPD (69%), Greens (69%), Union (60%), and FDP (57%).
Interestingly, 32% of CDU/CSU voters trust the Wagenknecht Party with problem-solving capabilities. The CDU candidate in Thuringia, Mario Voigt, has recently refrained from ruling out cooperation with the BSW. While party leader Friedrich Merz previously revoked his endorsement for the Wagenknecht Alliance at the federal level, this decision doesn't seem to apply to the state level.
These findings are based on a survey conducted by market and opinion research institute Forsa for "Stern" and RTL Germany on June 20 and 21, 2024, through telephone interviews. With a sample size of 1006 respondents, the survey is representative, and the statistical error tolerance is +/- 3 percentage points.
The question asked was: "If the Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht were to form a coalition government in eastern Germany, do you trust the BSW to contribute to the solution of problems in the state, or do you not trust it?"
Read also:
- In the upcoming state elections in Thuringia, surveys suggest that the Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) could secure significant votes, potentially allowing them to enter the state parliament.
- Contrasting to the eastern regions, the trust in the BSW for governance is low in the western states, such as Brandenburg, as revealed in a Forsa survey.
- According to the same survey by Forsa, in the aftermath of the state elections in Thuringia, Saxony, and Brandenburg in September, the BSW is seen as a potential coalition partner due to the other parties' rejection of coalitions with the AfD.
- The BSW, led by Sahra Wagenknecht, is also set to compete in the state elections in Brandenburg, where surveys indicate they could easily surpass the 10% threshold required to enter the state parliament.
