In Saxony and Thuringia: The Sahra Wagenknecht Association has not weakened the AfD, but rather the rest of the left-wing parties

Friday, Sep 6, 2024

Denik Referendum

Analysis shows BSW did not significantly draw voters from far-right AfD in recent German elections.

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[This is an automatically generated summary, for reference only]

Analysis of recent elections in Saxony and Thuringia suggests that the argument for voters shifting from far-right parties to conservative left options, such as Sahra Wagenknecht’s BSW, is limited. In both states, only a small fraction of voters who previously supported the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) switched to BSW; in Saxony, 23,000 voters moved from AfD to BSW, and in Thuringia, 11,000 did so. While BSW gained support from former left-wing parties like SPD, Greens, and Die Linke, its overall impact on the far-right vote was minimal. BSW distinguishes itself by strongly criticizing immigration, rejecting industrial transformation for ecological reasons, opposing political correctness, and promoting a more pro-Russian view of Ukraine. Nationally, BSW currently holds around eight percent support, while its predecessor, Die Linke, has fallen below four percent since the formation of BSW.

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