Wagenknecht floats expert government with AfD influence in Saxony-Anhalt
BSW leader Sahra Wagenknecht proposed including the AfD in a Saxony-Anhalt coalition with a non-partisan minister-president, breaking mainstream parties' cordon sanitaire against the far-right party.
Speaking ahead of the state election in Saxony-Anhalt, Wagenknecht told Apollo News that the Christian Democratic Union must lose its grip on power, according to Junge Freiheit. Her primary objective is to prevent another CDU minister-president from taking office in the eastern German state.
Instead, the BSW chief is advocating for a non-partisan minister-president who could command broader support across the political spectrum. Wagenknecht emphasized that all parties and political forces should be included in any future governing arrangement.
Addressing the role of the AfD specifically, Wagenknecht stated that a party winning thirty to forty percent of the vote must naturally have influence in Saxony-Anhalt going forward. She acknowledged that the AfD remains highly polarizing, with many voters supporting AfD lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund for minister-president while an equal number oppose him.
This polarization, Wagenknecht argued, makes the case for finding a personality who could be accepted by voters from different camps. Anyone seeking to unite the state would need to consider whether such a figure exists outside the traditional party leadership.
Expert Government Proposed
Wagenknecht floated the concept of an expert government that would represent a new form of government formation, not only for the minister-president position but for the entire cabinet. The BSW leader said the goal is to find someone who does not emerge directly from the parties themselves.
She characterized eastern Germany as the appropriate place to test this new form of democracy, suggesting the region could pioneer alternative governance structures.
When asked whether the AfD would be receptive to such a proposal, Wagenknecht said it remained to be seen. She indicated that if parliamentary votes produce unclear majorities, the BSW would not commit to any fixed position in advance. The party has consistently maintained that it will support what is reasonable, regardless of which party proposes it.
The remarks represent a significant departure from the firewall strategy employed by most German parties, which refuse any cooperation with the AfD at state or federal level. Saxony-Anhalt, where the AfD polls strongly, could become a test case for whether alternative coalition arrangements are possible in eastern German states.
With information from Junge Freiheit
