Zimmermann is not worried about the future of BSW

BSW politician Sabine Zimmermann is not worried about the future of her party despite recent squabbles in the Sarah Wagenknecht alliance. The outgoing BSW parliamentary group leader in the Saxon state parliament told the German Press Agency that the BSW fills a gap left by the SPD and the Left Party that has not been filled by any other party to date. Zimmermann refers the gap to the areas of migration, peace policy and economic and social policy. "I therefore assume that we will remain relatively constant."

Inclusion in the Bundestag would strengthen BSW

If BSW were to enter the Bundestag after a recount of the election, the 65-year-old emphasized that its approval rating would also rise again. BSW narrowly failed to enter parliament in the Bundestag elections in February 2025. In December, the Bundestag's election review committee rejected a recount. This leaves the party with no other option but to appeal to the Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe. The court must avert damage to democracy with a recount, said Zimmermann.

Zimmermann sees BSW as the only real opposition party

Zimmermann (65) is leaving the state parliament next week for health reasons. She does not see a proper opposition in either the Bundestag or the state parliament. In Saxony, the Left and the Greens are pandering to the CDU-SPD minority government of Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU). The AfD is trying to position itself as a future partner of the CDU. "The people no longer play any role in the wrangling," she accused the other parties. "Apart from the BSW, there is no longer an opposition that cares about people's concerns."

Internal party squabbles: "Now the wheat is being separated from the chaff"

The BSW politician from Saxony, who sat in the Bundestag for the Left Party for many years, believes that squabbles such as the recent one in Brandenburg, which led to the collapse of the SPD-BSW coalition, are normal for a young party. "Now the wheat is being separated from the chaff," she said, referring to the resignations of former party members in Brandenburg. Their behavior had damaged democracy. "These people joined us because they were interested in mandates, not the fundamental values of our party," explained Zimmermann. In the end, the BSW will emerge stronger from such a cleansing process.