Miersch warns BSW against taking too hard a line when forming coalition

SPD General Secretary Matthias Miersch warns the Sahra Wagenknecht alliance that they will not allow themselves to be blackmailed when forming coalitions in Thuringia, Saxony and Brandenburg in view of their foreign policy demands. "I would very much like to see stability return to the aforementioned eastern German states and for there to be coalitions," Miersch told the Würzburg-based "Main-Post" and "Augsburger Allgemeine" newspapers. "But we cannot go into something like this for better or worse."

He emphasized: "We will not pursue politics by allowing ourselves to be blackmailed." At the same time, he noted that Ukraine would not be decided in the federal states, "so we will find bridges there if we want to". "The key question for the BSW remains: Are they prepared to take responsibility and forge compromises? This is where the litmus test comes in."

The Sahra Wagenknecht alliance plays a decisive role in the formation of governments in Brandenburg, Saxony and Thuringia. BSW Federal Chairwoman Wagenknecht wants potential coalition agreements to include the goal of diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine and a rejection of the stationing of US medium-range missiles in Germany. This is a high hurdle for the potential coalition partners of the CDU and SPD.

In Thuringia, the BSW has recently shown itself willing to enter into coalition negotiations with the CDU and SPD - provided that an agreement on the Wagenknecht party's controversial foreign policy demands is reached first.