Representative Voigt Resigns from the BSW State Parliamentary Caucus

Leipzig Representative Doreen Voigt has left the BSW caucus in the Saxon state parliament. The 42-year-old cited the caucus’s failure to take a clear stance against the AfD as the reason for her decision, the caucus announced. They acknowledged her decision; however, they stated that Voigt’s reasoning did not reflect the reality of parliamentary life. Voigt intends to continue serving her term as an independent lawmaker.

“I ran for office to prevent the AfD,” the 42-year-old told the *Freie Presse*. “Talking to the AfD and trying to convince them with arguments is one thing, but working together or voting in unison with them goes against my principles.”

Caucus leader Ronny Kupke explained that the Saxon BSW caucus had never changed its position toward the AfD: “Like the other parties in parliament, this party is also our political rival.” However, he noted that other parties’ strategies for dealing with the AfD had failed. “Anyone who, faced with an election result of 44 percent for the AfD in a neighboring state, does not begin to rethink how to deal with the party is beyond help,” Kupke said, referring to the results of the state election in Saxony-Anhalt.

Former BSW State Chair Zimmermann: Resignation Completely Incomprehensible

The former Saxon BSW chair, Sabine Zimmermann, stated that Voigt’s resignation was completely incomprehensible to her. “She ran on Sahra Wagenknecht’s platform and supported the parliamentary group’s policies and its substantive approach toward the AfD. She was apparently unable to withstand the political pressure.” 

Zimmermann had recruited and supported Voigt ahead of the 2024 state election. Both Zimmermann and Kupke called on Voigt to relinquish her seat.

The BSW parliamentary group in the state legislature in Dresden now has 14 members. In the neighboring state of Thuringia, the parliamentary group had imploded and disbanded shortly before the state election in Saxony-Anhalt in early September. Following a prolonged conflict with BSW founder Sahra Wagenknecht, Thuringia’s state leader Katja Wolf founded a new party and a new parliamentary group with fellow activists. Thüringen.Gerecht replaced the BSW in the Thuringian governing coalition.