“Many people no longer know what to choose”
By founding her own party, Sahra Wagenknecht is probably heralding the end of the Left faction. The party leadership accuses her of acting irresponsibly. In an interview with Tagesthemen , the politician defends her actions.
In an interview with tagesthemen , Bundestag member Sahra Wagenknecht defended her motives for founding the “Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht” (BSW) and then her own party: Many people had asked her to found a party, according to the former left-wing politician. This decision was not easy for her. But Wagenknecht emphasized: “We finally need a new political beginning in Germany.” People wanted something to change politically.
“There is an incredible representation gap”
Wagenknecht contradicted the accusation of destroying the Left faction by founding its association. “Of course we will try to keep the group going as long as possible in the interests of the employees,” she said.
The member of the Bundestag emphasized that the question of the future of the Left was too small. It's now about where the country is heading. Wagenknecht sensed what people in the country reflected to her: “There is an incredible gap in representation. Many people no longer know what to vote for.” In this context, she criticized the federal government as “the worst government in German history.”
When asked about the failure of her club “Aufgehen,” which she founded in 2018, Wagenknecht said it was something different. The rallying movement was intended to put pressure on parties. “I made mistakes back then that I learned from,” she emphasized.
An alternative to the alternative
The politician said she regrets that the left-wing voice in the Bundestag is becoming quieter as a result of the founding of her “BSW”. "That's the bitter part of it. I wish it had turned out differently." But now it's about looking forward. “The party leadership has basically been suggesting to me for months that I should take exactly this step,” said Wagenknecht.
Decisions that make people's lives more difficult should not be made again and again. The AfD in particular is currently taking advantage of this: “The AfD has now managed to be the address of the dissatisfied,” said Wagenknecht. People now need a reputable address that not only articulates protest against the government, but also has concepts.
When asked how she wanted to implement politics with her party in the future, Wageknecht referred to an initial basic program of her alliance. Specifically, it concerns issues such as energy prices, which need to be reduced "in the very short term" - but also about increasing the minimum wage, reforming the pension system or reconsidering the economic sanctions against Russia.
