Germany's troubled left-populist BSW seeks fresh identity in rebrand
Known by its acronym BSW, the party was founded in 2024 and quickly found electoral success, mainly due to its opposition to weapon deliveries to Ukraine.
While it was originally named after its founder, Sahra Wagenknecht, a prominent left-wing politician, to boost recognition, Wagenknecht herself previously suggested that the name would eventually be changed.
The BSW's leadership announced on Monday evening that this would be discussed at the upcoming party conference in December.
'We would like to keep the familiar acronym BSW – for many of us, it stands for identity and cohesion,' the party's leaders, including Wagenknecht, wrote in an email to members.
They asked their supporters to send in new ideas for what the letters B, S, and W could stand for instead of Bündnis (Alliance) Sahra Wagenknecht. The party's founder previously proposed Bündnis für Sicherheit und Wohlstand (Alliance for Security and Prosperity).
This comes as the party is facing an existential crisis after missing the necessary vote share to enter the German parliament by less than 0.02% at national elections in February.
Even so, Wagenknecht has remained co-chair, saying that she would stay until she managed to turn the party into an established force in German politics.
Germany's left-populist Wagenknecht Alliance open to talks with far right AfD
German mainstream parties refuse to engage with the AfD at a national level.
Wagenknecht had formed the party to fill a gap in the spectrum, as an economically left-wing and socially conservative alternative to Germany's main socialist party, the Left.
Wagenknecht and her allies had broken away from the party in 2023, accusing it of focusing on progressive policies rather than representing the working class.
Wagenknecht's own brand, which includes opposition to liberal migration policies and a conciliatory tone towards Russia, made her particularly popular in the regions of former East Germany, which continues to lag behind the West in economic terms.
BSW also managed to win five seats at its first European elections in 2024, though the delegation failed to join a group after it unsuccessfully tried to create an independent outfit.
New EU left group fails, Wagenknecht party blames 'majority groups'
Talks to form an alternative left group in the European Parliament have failed, Germany's Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) confirmed on Wednesday evening, as its lead candidate Fabio de Masi blamed last-minute dropouts and the "powerful levers" of "majority groups".
(mm)
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