Progressive Government Official Straetmanns Pursues Membership in BSW
The influence of the Left is diminishing in Eastern Germany, while the BSW is experiencing a surge in popularity. Now, a high-ranking official from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is considering joining the Die Linke party led by Wagenknecht. This is not the first time he's shifted his political loyalty.
Friedrich Straetmanns, a State Secretary in the Ministry of Justice for Mecklenburg-Vorpommern since November 2021, has expressed his intent to join the Alliance for the Future of Germany (BSW). The 63-year-old, who was once a member of the WASG from 2005 and served in the German Bundestag for the Left party from 2017 to 2021, spoke about his previous affiliation with the SPD, which he left due to the Hartz-IV laws, back in 2016. His departure from the SPD was highlighted in an interview with "Neue Westfälische" newspaper. It remained uncertain whether his planned political shift would impact his role as State Secretary.
In a response to t-online portal, Straetmanns condemned the Left party for neglecting its essential values, such as "peace." He attributed this to the absence of the Left party leadership during the "peace rally" led by Sahra Wagenknecht and Alice Schwarzer at the Brandenburg Gate in February 2023, as well as the party's migration policy. Regarding the upcoming personnel change, Wagenknecht commended Straetmanns as a "skilled jurist and effective politician." Straetmanns is not shy about voicing his opinions, especially during the Corona period, where he has advocated for constitutional and civil rights.
BSW strengthens its presence in Eastern Germany
Upcoming state elections in Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg, scheduled for this Sunday, three weeks, and in February respectively, could see the BSW gain considerable power. Recent surveys indicate that BSW has scored double-digit results in all three states, posing the potential to enter the respective state parliaments. Notable figures, like former leader of the Left faction in the Bundestag, Amira Mohamed Ali, have already joined the BSW.
The Left party garnered only 2.7 percent of votes in the European election held in June and currently stands at 3 percent in national polls. In 2021, it failed to achieve the 5 percent threshold with 4.9 percent but managed to enter the Bundestag thanks to direct mandates.
The BSW's surge in popularity in Eastern Germany has led to high-level defectors, such as Friedrich Straetmanns, expressing interest in joining the party. Straetmanns, a former member of the SPD and the Left party, criticized the Left's neglect of values like "peace" and migration policy, which could potentially strengthen the BSW's presence in upcoming state elections.
