BSW rebrands ahead of Saxony-Anhalt election as AfD dominance looms
The BSW party is set to change its name this weekend at a federal conference in Magdeburg. The new title, Bündnis für Soziale Gerechtigkeit und Wirtschaftliche Vernunft (Alliance for Social Justice and Economic Reason), keeps the BSW acronym but drops Sahra Wagenknecht’s name. Meanwhile, incoming leader Fabio De Masi has firmly ruled out any coalition with the far-right AfD.
Ahead of Saxony-Anhalt’s state election, the latest Insa Sunday poll shows the AfD leading with 40%, while the BSW remains tied with the SPD at 6%.
De Masi stressed that the BSW would not enter a coalition with the AfD, citing 'major political differences'. He highlighted the AfD’s push for a 'massive military buildup', which he warned would cripple the economy and industry. Yet, he added that the party would still assess the AfD’s individual policy proposals on their merits.
He also criticised the strategy of blocking the AfD from committee seats, arguing that such exclusion had only bolstered the party’s support. According to De Masi, AfD co-leader Alice Weidel’s stance on 'reprivatization' and opposition to higher taxes on billionaires aligns her more closely with CDU leader Friedrich Merz than with the BSW’s own policies.
Internally, the BSW faces tensions, with De Masi admitting that disputes escalate when the party’s progress stalls. The current poll results in Saxony-Anhalt suggest no majority government could form without either the AfD or the Left Party, which sits at 11%.
The BSW’s name change will be finalised at the Magdeburg conference. With the AfD leading in the polls, the party’s refusal to cooperate with either the far right or a purely anti-AfD alliance leaves Saxony-Anhalt’s political landscape uncertain. The outcome of the state election will determine whether a stable government can be formed without the AfD’s involvement.
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