German Far-Left Leader Turns Power Broker After State Votes

New far-left alliance surged to third in Thuringia and Saxony
BSW set to play key role in keeping far-right AfD out of power

Sahra Wagenknecht reacts to the first projections at the party election reception in Erfurt, Germany, on Sept. 1.Photographer: Clemens Bilan/Pool/Getty Images

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By Iain Rogers

September 2, 2024 at 11:24 AM UTC

Updated on

September 2, 2024 at 4:10 PM UTC

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Sahra Wagenknecht and her new BSW alliance of the far left are set to play a key role in keeping the Alternative for Germany out of power in Thuringia despite the far-right party’s victory in Sunday’s state election there.

The BSW, which wants to curb immigration and stop arming Ukraine, was founded only in January after splitting from the Left party. It came third in the eastern German region with 15.8% of the vote, according to preliminary results, behind the AfD in first place on 32.8% and the conservative Christian Democrats second on 23.6%.