Weselsky flirts with Wagenknecht party

Weselsky, the GDL Chef, criticizes the local party landscape sharply. He particularly criticizes the alleged divide between "the political class and citizens." Initially, he considered the AfD a "real alternative," but now sympathizes with a recently founded party.

Claus Weselsky, a railway union worker, shows sympathy for the Wagenknecht Party BSW. In an interview with "Zeit Magazin," he admitted to being frustrated with the question "Who should one actually vote for?" He added: "I'm excited about the Sahra Wagenknecht alliance, at least that much I can say."

In the current party landscape, there is a "disconnection between the political class and citizens," which worries the unionist. He misses politicians like "Bruderle, Bosbach, Kubicki," none of whom are around anymore. He once found himself attracted to the then Juso Chief Kevin Kühnert, but Weselsky said: "But he's sold out since he became SPD General Secretary. No more straight talk."

Weselsky, who is still a CDU member, has reservations about the Union - especially after his Chancellor Angela Merkel took various actions during her tenure to weaken labor laws. However, he is also skeptical of a Merz Chancellorship. "If Friedrich Merz becomes Chancellor, I can tell you what will happen: He'll take the SPD because it's lying on the ground and make ordoliberal policy," he told the newspaper.

"I am populist"

Weselsky criticized the AfD sharply but understood the motivations of their voters. He finds the rise of the AfD "terrifying, but I understand it: For years, we've written off voters as idiots because they resist being governed from the ivory tower," said the GDL Chief to "Zeit." "I find the reaction of the voters normal. I hate it when people are accused of being stupid."

He initially saw the AfD as a "real alternative," with honorable people involved. "Then came the radicalization, which is terrible," he said. On the question of whether he himself was a populist, Weselsky answered: "Of course! I am populist. What do you think, how do you get 40,000 members on board? As sleeping pills, or what?"

Weselsky: Use populism "for something good"

Being "populist" is equated with "right-wing" these days. But populism is the ability to rally many people. "So, and that's not inherently negative," Weselsky said and added: "What matters is: What do you use your populist talent for? For good or evil? I use it for good, for our members. And many in Germany are discovering that the country needs a bit of my populism."

Weselsky has been the Federal Chairman of the German Locomotive Drivers' Union (GDL) since 2008. During his tenure, several strikes lasting for an extended period have been controversial. He himself denies responsibility for the temporary standstill in the country. The fault lies "with the management of the German Railways, if it refuses to engage with demands that it then inevitably concedes to after the strikes." In the fall, the 65-year-old goes into retirement.

Despite initially viewing the Alternative for Germany (AfD) as a "real alternative," Claus Weselsky, the head of German Railways' GDL, now expresses sympathy for Sahra Wagenknecht's Wagenknecht Party (BSW).
Weselsky has criticized the alleged divide between "the political class and citizens" in the current party landscape, echoing his previous criticism of the AfD, stating that he understands their voters' motivations.
In an interview, Weselsky admitted to being frustrated with the question of who to vote for, expressing his support for the Sahra Wagenknecht alliance and admitting to being "populist," using his "populist talent" for the benefit of his union's members.