Fighter's Den: The BSW Power Struggle in Thuringia Heats Up
Clash in the Power Struggle over BSW Leadership Ensues
Get ready for a knock-down, drag-out battle in Thuringia's BSW as a heated power struggle looms ahead of the upcoming state conference on Saturday. The current chairwoman, Katja Wolf, is facing off against party heavyweight, Sahra Wagenknecht, with the stakes high for both women and potentially the whole of Thuringia's government.
Born and bred in Thuringia, both Katja Wolf and Sahra Wagenknecht have been fixtures in the Left Party for quite some time, but they couldn't be more different in their political views, negotiating styles, and levels of responsibility. This explosive mix sets the stage for a showdown in Gera.
Saturday's state conference will see the BSW electing two new chairpersons, and Katja Wolf, Thuringia's finance minister and deputy minister-president, wants to secure her re-election. Sahra Wagenknecht, on the other hand, has no interest in another term. If Wolf is voted out, it could destabilize Thuringia's already shaky red-rocket coalition.
Katja Wolf, with years of government experience, sees herself as a practical negotiator who believes change comes from tackling issues head-on instead of complaining from the sidelines. In contrast, Sahra Wagenknecht, who has never held a governing position, has dedicated her career to fighting against forces pushing the Left Party away from its core values and into governmental responsibility. The deep divide between the desire to shape the government and the role of a fundamental opposition and protest party is the primary factor fueling this power struggle.
Wolf Fights Back - Wagenknecht Won't Back Off
The beef between Wolf and Wagenknecht has simmered in the public eye for months. When Wolf announced her intention to continue as one of the two state chairpersons in a dual leadership, Wagenknecht spoke to Der Spiegel, expressing her surprise at the re-candidacy, stating that a separation of government and party roles would be the sensible choice.
Steffen Schütz, the current state infrastructure minister, initially wanted to re-run for the regional leadership like Wolf. However, on Thursday, he bowed out, stating, "The BSW project sometimes requires stepping back." Gernot Süßmuth and Matthias Bickel, currently without any mandates, are running for Schütz's succession.
Katja Wolf refuses to back down, arguing that separating government and party roles would send the wrong signal to the party's still-unstructured state association. As state chairwoman, Wolf argues that her ability to negotiate within the coalition committee with the CDU and SPD is strengthened by her ministerial post. The withdrawal of Schütz might be seen as an attempt by the pragmatic wing to appease critics by offering them at least a position in the dual leadership. Schütz continues to support Wolf's candidacy, stating, "The BSW would shrink in government if Katja were no longer chairwoman."
The Fix Is In?
While it appears the party leadership around Wagenknecht is not interested in leaving the decision on the state chairmanship to the Thuringian BSW members, they've openly backed state parliamentarian Anke Wirsing as an alternative to Katja Wolf. The political scientist Sven Leunig from the University of Jena explains this shift in part by Wagenknecht's lingering grudge against Katja Wolf following coalition formation disagreements in Thuringia.
Coalition Crisis?
The BSW has been governing Thuringia with the CDU and SPD since December in what's known as a "blackberry coalition" - a group without its own majority in the state parliament. Public disagreements occurred during coalition negotiations, with Wagenknecht questioning Wolf's failure to extract concessions from government partners regarding the formulations in the coalition agreement on the Ukraine war. In the event of Wolf's dismissal, the BSW's government participation could harm efforts to win back disenchanted voters before the 2024 Thuringia state elections.
Voters may no longer identify with the BSW following its entrance into government, as compromises are then harder to sell. Wirsing, the favored candidate of Wagenknecht, emphasizes that ending the coalition will not be her first move if elected state chairwoman, stating, "I am not the Trojan horse in the BSW."
Sources:
[1] ntv.de[3] Analyzing Thuringia through left-wing and right-wing outlets: Spiegel Online vs Thuringian General[3] Thuringia BSW election strategy in comparison to the 2017 federal election: Focus on Ukraine and economic concerns[3] BSW structure and member selection processes: Criticisms of cadre-like party practices and scrutiny of Lawyer-approaches[3] Clashes within the Thuringian coalition: Thuringia Post, Leipziger Volkszeitung[3] Sahra Wagenknecht's leadership style and impact: Spiegel Online, ntv.de[3] Katja Wolf's career and popular support: Thuringian General, Leipziger Volkszeitung, Sächsische Zeitung[3] Analyses of the BSW's national political strategy from different perspectives: FAZ, WDR, SWR[3] BSW party conference motions and factional differences: Anklamener Rundschau, Jusos.de
- The Commission shall inform the Member States of the measures taken by Katja Wolf and Sahra Wagenknecht's political party, the BSW, in Thuringia, as the power struggle between these two leaders leads up to the state conference.
- Thuringia's general news outlets have been reporting on the ongoing slander and personal disputes between Katja Wolf and Sahra Wagenknecht in the context of the BSW's power struggle and the upcoming elections.
- The BSW's policy-and-legislation and politics, notably the rivalry between Katja Wolf and Sahra Wagenknecht, have been a hot topic in Thuringia, overshadowing other general news stories.
- As the BSW prepares to elect new structural leadership in Thuringia, the issue of separating government and party roles, as advocated by Sahra Wagenknecht, has become a contentious point in the power struggle between Katja Wolf and her opponents.
