"Shaking Things Up in Cologne: The New Element on the Political Scene"
"Altered Surroundings Explored"
Politics, Cologne, 17th February 2025, Issue: 2/2025
The Left Party isn't the only game in town anymore, even in Cologne. Enter the one-year-old "Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht" (BSW), led by the eponymous federal parliamentarian, aiming to make a splash in local politics. Originally, they had plans for a local branch, but the sudden federal election caught them off guard, as Carolin Butterwegge, a former member of the Left, explains. In 2022, she wanted to run as the top candidate for the NRW state parliament for the Left, but the party failed to clear the five percent hurdle. Last year, she resigned and joined the BSW. Hailing from Cologne, Butterwegge is married to Christoph Butterwegge, a poverty researcher who has no political affiliations but was a candidate for the Left in the 2017 federal presidential election.
Butterwegge won't be vying for the federal election but has her sights set on the local one. "We've put together a strong group of activists in Cologne," she says, boasting 15 members and a few dozen supporters. This strategic, controlled expansion prevents overloading the structures during the startup phase. For now, the party can still select its candidates without a delegate system in place. The initial numbers for Cologne came from the European election in the summer (BSW 4.2 percent, Left 4 percent).
Local political experience abounds within the Cologne ranks. Butterwegge herself sat on the youth welfare and school committees for the Left. Frankfurt Clemens, a renowned street worker, sits on the city council committees as an adjunct member. Today, he belongs to the BSW state executive board and is on the federal election list for the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, alongside another Cologne resident, Benedikt Frank, the trade union secretary. Sahra Wagenknecht herself heads the NRW candidate list.
Clemens and Butterwegge defend their move to federal politics. "I'm deeply concerned about maintaining social unity," says Clemens. The Left, he believes, has moved away from its working-class roots and shifted focus towards feminist and queer politics, particularly in university cities. This shift is less pronounced in the BSW, according to Butterwegge. "The BSW attracts a different demographic. We're a bit older, but also diverse," she adds.
A potential joint faction with the Left, as elsewhere, is conceivable to Butterwegge. When she talks about goals such as educational justice and socially just urban development, it sounds plausible. However, it won't be a walk in the park.
Michael Weisenstein, one of the current six councilors of the Left, views the BSW as a "populist organization that seeks to gain votes at the expense of migrants." The BSW, Weisenstein asserts,applies negative sentiment towards migrants to generate votes, a stance that is in stark contrast to the Left's belief in inclusion and diversity.
Butterwegge emphasizes a key distinction that is relevant locally. She advocates for "consistent oversight of new immigration." All people entitled to stay must be protected and socially supported. The Geneva Refugee Convention must be honored. However, immigration is a significant challenge for municipalities and those worried about their own future. Lack of kindergarten and school places, dilapidated schools and sports facilities, shortage of affordable housing: when new people move in, it escalates existing pressure. Overburdened societal institutions need serious consideration, and some local immigration authorities have failed to adequately address these concerns, as demonstrated by instances like the Solingen attack. Yet, she does not attribute these differences to her former colleagues in migration policy.
Migrant-related conflicts have been a part of the Left from the beginning, with both internationalist and national-conservative currents coexisting within the party. Additionally, protest voters who align with the Left despite its migrant-friendly stance can sometimes create tension. Last year, the business office recorded 250 new members and 70 resignations for the Left in Cologne, signaling a shift in the political landscape.
Four mandate holders of the Left, including Weisenstein and Detjen, have decided not to seek reelection. All cite personal reasons for this decision. Heiner Kockerbeck plans to contest his mandate and expresses a sense of relief regarding the secession of the BSW, even among other factions with whom he has collaborated constructively. A cooperation with a potential BSW faction, however, seems "hardly imaginable."
- "Carolin Butterwegge, a former member of the Left Party, discusses the strategic expansion of her new party, the Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW), in local politics, specifically in Cologne, stating that they've assembled a group of activists to contest the upcoming local elections."
- "In the general news context, tensions arise between the Left Party and the Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) over policies regarding immigration, as the BSW advocates for consistent oversight to alleviate the pressure on societal institutions while the Left emphasizes inclusion and diversity."
