The Leipzig-based political scientist Hendrik Träger attests that BSW founder Sahra Wagenknecht has a "centralized understanding of party work". By this, the political scientist means that the federal chairwoman exerts influence on the branches in the federal states. She would only grant the state associations a small degree of autonomy - as a kind of branch of the BSW in the states. The entire project is strongly tailored to Wagenknecht. "This is not usual in the German party landscape."
Träger was referring to the failure of the exploratory talks for a governing coalition between the CDU, the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) and the SPD in Saxony. The BSW declared the talks over on Wednesday, citing the parties' opposing views on the issue of war and peace as one of the reasons. For the BSW, sticking to a clear peace formula in the preamble of a coalition agreement was a question of credibility.
