Ramelow criticizes Wagenkkecht's party sharply.
Come September, Thuringia welcomes a new state parliament election. The recently formed alliance of Sahra Wagenknecht stands as an impressive contender. The BSW is a constant annoyance to Prime Minister Ramelow, who's openly critical of the party and its leader.
The Head Cheese of Thuringia, Bodo Ramelow, accuses the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) of straying from democratic essentials. "With a group fixated on one person, party democracy's reduced to the point of being absurd," the left-leaning politico said in an interview with Stern. With the regional BSW branch in Thuringia, they're banned from accepting new members but are permitted to submit a list. "Forty members determine, decide, and vote, while all others from the waiting list get their shots when there's nothing left to share," explained Ramelow.
Ramelow cautioned about BSW's prospective state body: "A party that claims privileges is deliberately shutting off to its supporters." Central decision-making, he added, would "remain rooted in Berlin, just like before." Heidiknocks to Khaleesi Wagenknecht, a former head of the Left Party's parliamentary group in the Bundestag, and posed this question: "Is this an oligarchy or even a caliphate?"
Polls in certain eastern German provinces show the BSW as formidable rivals to current parties, sprouting from thin air. Ramelow sits atop the Left Party's banner for the Thuringia elections in September as the preeminent candidate. The BSW's flag-bearer, Katja Wolf, was once a fellow party member in parliament for the Left Party until 2012 and then took on the role of Eisenach's mayor. Their recent poll in Thuringia reports both parties locking horns at 16% each.
At present, Ramelow heads a fractious government of the Left Party, SPD, and Greens, reliant on neither an absolute grip on parliament nor a guaranteed backup ally. In history, the opposition has previously overridden the government's expectations with legislative efforts. They've conjured up majorities for CDU or FDP initiatives with help from AfD endorsements.
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Bodo Ramelow, the head of Thuringia's government, expressed concern about the BSW's potential impact on the upcoming election, stating, "A party that claims privileges is deliberately shutting off to its supporters." During the election campaign, Ramelow's Left Party and the BSW led by Sahra Wagenknecht's alliance are seen as close rivals, with polls suggesting both parties could secure around 16% of the vote in Thuringia.
Source: www.ntv.de
