Elections in Eastern Germany - Wagenknecht: Peace question decisive for coalitions
BSW-Party founder Sahra Wagenknecht makes coalition building in Eastern Germany dependent on the stance of partners regarding the war in Ukraine. "We will only participate in a state government that also takes a clear federal political stance for diplomacy and against war preparation," said the chairwoman of The Left party BSW to the German Press Agency. It is clear that "a new arms race consumes billions that are urgently needed for schools, hospitals, housing, and higher pensions."
In September, new parliaments will be elected in Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg. The Wagenknecht Party BSW is focusing on education, migration, and the peace issue in these states - and finds resonance in the three states with opinion polls of 15 to 20 percent. Both parties are against arms deliveries to Ukraine and for immediate negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
"The peace issue is very important," said Wagenknecht. "Many people are rightly concerned because the federal government is making our country more and more into a war party in the Ukraine war and so far has missed every effort at diplomatic solutions." She also criticized the announcement to station US-American rockets in Germany in 2026. Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz justified this as a reaction to a growing Russian threat.
- Sahra Wagenknecht, the founder of the BSW Party, has set a condition for coalition building in Eastern Germany, stating that it hinges on partners' positions on the Ukraine war.
- The German Press Agency reported her statements, emphasizing her stance against war preparation and support for diplomacy.
- In the upcoming September state elections in Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg, the BSW Party is prioritizing education, migration, and the peace issue.
- According to opinion polls, the party has gained support in these regions, with ratings of 15 to 20 percent.
- Both the BSW Party and its counterparts in these states are vehemently opposed to arms deliveries to Ukraine and advocate for immediate negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
- The Ukrainian conflict is a significant concern for many people, with the federal government's actions perceived as turning Germany into a war-promoting nation in the conflict.
- Wagenknecht also criticized the planned deployment of US rockets in Germany in 2026, citing it as another reason for her opposition to the federal government's stance on the Ukraine war.
- This issue has become a central focus of the State parliament election campaign in Erfurt, Leipzig, and other cities in Eastern Germany and neighboring states like Saxony and Brandenburg.
