Former hard-left star Wagenknecht officially starts new German party

Sahra Wagenknecht, a former leading light in Germany's hard-left Die Linke (The Left) party who left to form her own political movement, officially founded her breakaway party in Berlin on Monday.

The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) wants to establish itself as the "people's party" in Germany for the next 30 to 40 years and fundamentally change politics, Wagenknecht and her fellow campaigners said at a press conference.

Earlier, 44 initial members had formally founded the BSW as a party in Berlin and elected its first executive committee.

Wagenknecht will hold dual leadership with the former leader of the left-wing parliamentary group, Amira Mohamed Ali.

Entrepreneur and university professor Shervin Haghsheno is the deputy chairman and member of parliament Christian Leye is the secretary general.

Former Die Linke politician Fabio De Masi and long-time Social Democrat Thomas Geisel are to lead the new party into the European Parliament elections.

After the European elections on June 9, the BSW wants to participate in eastern German state elections in September. Wagenknecht herself does not want to stand as a candidate, but wants to remain as a member of Germany's parliament,

Wagenknecht said it was "a bit of a historic day." She said she and those who joined her were "laying the foundation stone for a party that has the potential to fundamentally change the German political spectrum and, above all, to fundamentally change politics" in Germany.

At a two-hour press conference in Berlin, she repeated her harsh criticism of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's centre-right coalition and expressed support for the farmers' protests that were taking place simultaneously.

"You are experiencing a government that has no plan," Wagenknecht said. The coalition is taking money out of people's pockets and dividing the country, she added.

In October, Wagenknecht left Die Linke along with nine lawmakers and announced plans to start a breakaway party.

Though left-wing on economic issues, Wagenknecht positions herself closer to the far right on topics like migration, gender and climate.

Wagenknecht has clashed with leaders of Die Linke over her anti-immigration stance, scepticism over mandatory vaccines, criticism of sanctions on Russia and other political positions.

After Wagenknecht and nine other lawmakers resigned, Die Linke was forced to disband its parliamentary faction - a deep cut for the party and an unusual occurrence in Germany's Bundestag.

The BSW has not yet presented a detailed programme - according to Wagenknecht, this is to be developed together with citizens and experts.

Initially, the outline of some important positions published in October remained. These include limiting migration "to a level that does not overburden our country and its infrastructure."

Another core aim is "well-paid, secure jobs," a "fair tax system," investment in education and infrastructure, higher unemployment and pension insurance benefits, the paper states.

The BSW does not support the government's current climate policy of phasing out the combustion engine and switching completely to renewable energies.

In terms of foreign policy, the BSW is against arms deliveries to Ukraine and calls for immediate peace negotiations. The five-page paper states: "We fundamentally deny the resolution of conflicts by military means."

The new party positions itself against NATO and argues that the alliance is "fuelling feelings of threat and defensive reactions and thus contributing to global instability."

What is needed is a "defensive defence alliance," the BSW wrote.

The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance was initially founded as an association as a preparatory step to form a party and to collect donations for it.

According to Mohamed Ali, chairwoman of the association, €1.4 million ($1.5 million) had been raised by shortly before Christmas.

The first party conference is planned for January 27.