German left-conservative BSW proposes post-election cooperation with far-right AfD, invites Weidel to debate Wagenknecht
The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) has sent a letter to the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) leadership proposing cooperation after upcoming state elections in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, including joint public debates between founder Sahra Wagenknecht and AfD co-chair Alice Weidel.
The offer
In a letter dated 26 June, BSW co-chairs Fabio De Masi and Amira Mohamed Ali proposed to AfD leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla that the two parties work together on a case-by-case basis after the September state elections. The letter, also signed by BSW general secretary Oliver Ruhnert, criticises the so-called Brandmauer (firewall) against the AfD as undemocratic and says BSW would decide on parliamentary motions according to their content, not their origin.
The party wants to replace the incumbent minister-presidents in Magdeburg and Schwerin with non-partisan figures who would govern with shifting majorities that include the AfD. As an immediate step, BSW proposed two public debates between Wagenknecht and Weidel on BSW campaign stages in the eastern states, arguing that public-service broadcasters rarely give either party a platform.
Electoral context
State elections are scheduled for 6 September in Saxony-Anhalt and 20 September in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. BSW failed to enter the Bundestag and now polls at 4% in Saxony-Anhalt and 6% in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The AfD leads in Saxony-Anhalt with 41 to 42% support. Wagenknecht has said that if BSW enters the Magdeburg parliament, it would abstain in the third round of a vote for minister-president, where a simple majority suffices. Under certain conditions that could allow an AfD candidate to win.
Der Osten tickt anders. Der Herbst 2026 hat etwas von 1989. Zieht das BSW in den Landtag von Magdeburg ein, gibt es eine echte Chance für einen demokratischen Neubeginn.
Criticism of public media and historical comparisons
Wagenknecht sharpened her attack on public broadcasters, comparing ARD and ZDF to the state-controlled DDR-Fernsehen. She claimed that the AfD appears rarely and BSW almost not at all on those channels. Several outlets noted the irony of a former SED member who joined the party in 1989 now accusing the public broadcasters of being propaganda tools.
Leider ist der Öffentlich-Rechtliche-Rundfunk zu einem propagandistischen Staatsfunk nach dem Vorbild des DDR-Fernsehens verkommen.
Policy overlap and divisions
The letter lists areas of common ground such as resuming Russian oil and gas imports, and acknowledges AfD support for BSW's demand to recount the federal election. At the same time, the BSW leadership stresses differences: they reject the influence of right-wing extremists inside the AfD, oppose the party's backing of US President Donald Trump and rearmament, and criticise AfD proposals for reporting offices in schools and universities.
Wir entscheiden grundsätzlich immer in der Sache und nicht danach, wer in den Parlamenten die Anträge stellt.
AfD reaction still pending
Weidel's spokesperson told the Frankfurter Allgemeine that the AfD co-chair would respond on Wednesday. The party has not yet accepted or declined the invitation. Commentators in Focus and elsewhere noted that the AfD is unlikely to agree to a non-partisan minister-president if it can instead install one of its own, possibly with the help of defectors or BSW abstentions.
