Sahra Wagenknecht: A pro-Putinist force in German politics
In the pro-Putinist realm encompassing extremist parties across most Western countries, Sahra Wagenknecht occupies a distinct role. A significant change is imminent in the centre of German politics: after decades of moderate yet predictable leadership, voters are increasingly abandoning the centre in favour of vibrant, populist figures.
This shift has given rise to an extreme left party that opposes migration and has secured substantial support in the recent elections.
Background and political journey
Born in East Germany, the former communist German Democratic Republic (GDR), Sahra Wagenknecht was raised by her German mother after being abandoned by her Iranian father. Early in her career, she became a member of the ruling party of the GDR, the Socialist Unity Party (SED), where her blend of social conservatism and Marxist economics appealed to the party’s established figures.
However, allies assert that she never genuinely felt at home there due to her scepticism regarding mass migration, which ultimately led to her departure. Consequently, she founded an extremist party in September 2023, the BSW (Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht), and continuously accuses the German government of hypocrisy concerning energy policy and its stance on conflicts in the Middle East.
Critique of energy policy
“Why have energy prices surged? Because we have a government that perceives itself as the moral authority of the world,” she stated. “Their belief is that, since they possess the strongest morality and hyper-morality, we can no longer purchase Russian gas and oil. Instead, we receive quality gas from Qatar, an Islamist dictatorship that funds Hamas.”
Populism and political positioning
Wagenknecht perpetually launches a populist critique of Scholz's coalition, which includes the Greens, whom she argues are too preoccupied with “breaking macchiato with friends” in their insular communities to attend to the concerns of ordinary voters.
In this manner, she positions herself at the pro-Russian extreme of the political spectrum, a leftist populist who was raised in East Germany and believes that Marxism and communism are superior to capitalist democracy. Although she occasionally criticises Putin, she consistently emphasises the failures of the USA or attempts to downplay the harm caused by Russia.
Alignment with European populists
Thus, Sahra Wagenknecht aligns herself with European left populists, such as the Frenchman Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who, completing a full circle, approaches, through ideological pirouettes, the traditional themes of the far right, thereby intensifying the European ideological chaos amid suspected funding from Moscow.
Author: Dan Alexe
Translation by Iurie Tataru
