Episode 93: Sahra Wagenknecht Tries to Shake Up German Politics with a New Party

On October 23, one of Germany’s most popular politicians Sahra Wagenknecht announced that she would leave the Left Party and form a new political party. The “Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance” (BSW) would be the first new political party established since the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in 2013. Will Wagenknecht’s brand of anti-migration left-populism shake up the German political landscape and weaken the extreme-right AfD? Dr. Sarah Wagner joins The Zeitgeist to discuss the BSW’s potential political positions, the advantages of and barriers to forming a new party, and with which voters her positions resonate. Articles mentioned in this episode: Sahra Wagenknecht in Süddeutsche Zeitung Bridging Left and Right? How Sahra Wagenknecht Could Change the German Party Landscape Host Jeff Rathke, President, AGI Guests Sarah Wagner, Lecturer in Quantitative Political Science, Queen’s University Belfast Eric Langenbacher, AGI Senior Fellow; Director, Society, Culture & Politics Program