BSW after controversial demo: Don't leave issues to the right

Following the controversial participation of a BSW politician in a demonstration in Görlitz, the Sahra Wagenknecht alliance has responded to criticism. The party's leadership made it clear that they did not want to leave important issues such as peace policy to the far right. Last Saturday, a representative of the small right-wing extremist party Freie Sachsen also took part in the demonstration. Peace is an important issue. It was quite clear that her party would speak out, said BSW leader Sabine Zimmermann.

BSW rejects any cooperation with right-wing extremists

The BSW clearly distances itself from the Free Saxons because they are Nazis, said Zimmermann. "We will not work with them. But that's why we can express our opinion." They will not cooperate with the AfD either, but will examine the content of their motions in the state parliament. For example, the BSW agreed to an AfD motion in the plenary session on Tuesday that opposed the stationing of US missiles on German soil.

Zimmermann spoke of a "different style" and pointed out that all AfD motions in the state parliament have so far been rejected. The AfD had been "written up" as a result. "We don't want that anymore." The motion was "poorly drafted" and also copied from the BSW. However, it is important at this time to talk about the issue again. The motion is about the demand for more diplomacy. We have never been as close to a third world war as we are now, argued Zimmermann.

Greens do not see the BSW as a stabilizing force in Saxony

Green politician Valentin Lippmann accused the BSW of not distancing itself from right-wing extremists. A democratic party should not associate with such people, he made clear. Participation in the demonstration showed that the BSW "fundamentally did not understand or did not want to understand demarcations". The BSW is not a "stabilizing force for the liberal forces" in Saxony.

The BSW was a potential partner in a coalition with the CDU and SPD in Saxony. However, they failed during the exploratory phase because there was no agreement on a peace formula in the preamble of a coalition agreement or on the topics of migration and financial policy.