BSW party conference in Saxony-Anhalt: “I don’t want us to become a purely Eastern party!”

At a party conference in Magdeburg , the BSW Saxony-Anhalt regional association set the course for next year's state elections. However, the party does not yet have district associations in the state. These municipal structures have yet to be established. Therefore, a change to the statutes was necessary to pave the way for the establishment of regional associations.

A recent Insa survey commissioned by the portal “Nius” sees the Sahra Wagenknecht alliance at eight percent in the Sunday question for the 2026 state election – making it the fourth strongest force in Saxony-Anhalt.

The state party conference also addressed the party's election platform. This is the fourth state parliament the party hopes to enter. Co-state chairman Thomas Schulze emphasized in his welcoming speech that, according to the poll, the party is doing better than the SPD , the Greens, and the FDP .

Schulze, 60, works at the Stendal State Reception Center and, along with 21-year-old John Lucas Dittrich, who is studying German and social studies to become a teacher in Magdeburg, is one of the two chairmen. In his speech, Schulze spoke out against racism, criticized populism on the issues of refugee and asylum, and defined the AfD as a political opponent.

"I support this course," said Claudia Wittig. The 41-year-old historian works at the University of Halle-Wittenberg and believes the party will certainly be represented in the next state parliament. She ran for the BSW (Federal State Parliament) in Saxony-Anhalt in the federal election. While the issue of migration is increasingly gaining focus in other state associations, Wittig sees this path as a dead end.

Schulze accused the federal government's policies of turning it into "a arms republic." The billions of euros should not be spent on armaments, but rather the focus should be on improving people's living conditions. One in five people in Saxony-Anhalt live below the poverty line, and 60,000 people depend on food banks.

BSW in Saxony-Anhalt: “This is not about the individual”

There are almost 150 BSW members in Saxony-Anhalt, 102 of whom attended the party conference. The number is expected to increase, said co-chair Dittrich. According to press spokesperson Eike Goreczka, approximately 500 applications are currently pending, and they are being processed gradually.

Those present represented a broad spectrum of the population, from all regions of the state. Erwin von Mildisch, born in 2005, spoke as the representative of the youth organization. A native of Leipzig, he comes from an academic family; his sister is married to a Syrian. Von Mildisch advocated for the party, including the youth organization, to be open to all social groups.

The BSW is already represented in the state parliaments of Dresden, Potsdam, and Erfurt, even as a governing party in the latter. However, this is not without problems—as the conflict between party founder Sahra Wagenknecht and Thuringian BSW leader Katja Wolf demonstrated.

Interventions from Berlin, for example in coalition talks or the admission of new members, were the dominant topic at the state party conference in neighboring Thuringia two months ago. At that time, Sahra Wagenknecht's coalition faced a serious test. The event in Gera threatened to become a breaking point for the entire party.

But the power struggles and arguments that characterized Gera were nowhere to be heard in Magdeburg that afternoon. "Here in Saxony-Anhalt, at the BSW, it's not about the individual, but about the work, success, and, above all, the principles of an entire party," said state chairman Thomas Schulze. Only a united state association will build trust with voters and be elected. Saxony-Anhalt needs a new political beginning; the BSW stands for peace, social justice, and economic rationality. BSW district associations are scheduled to be established in Saxony-Anhalt starting in August.

Michael Lüders was the guest speaker. The Islamic scholar, who ran as the leading candidate for the Federal State of Saxony-Anhalt in the federal election, warned of the effects of the war in the Middle East between Israel and Iran. He was not sparing in his harsh criticism of politicians and the media, who were alleged to be carelessly supporting the conflict.

With 11.2 percent, the BSW achieved its best result in the federal election in Saxony-Anhalt. Co-federal chairwoman Amira Mohamed Ali reminded the audience that this was the fourth state parliament the party was aiming to enter. Applause erupted when she spoke about the miscounted votes in the federal election, of "bought politics, of CDU politicians who want to let pensioners work, of fear of decline." A BSW member, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed optimism about the party's future in Saxony-Anhalt. "But I don't want the BSW to become a purely Eastern party," he whispered, alluding to a rumor that the BSW would not run in next year's state election in Baden-Württemberg.

The party's election campaign agenda will be decided at the end of the year. "Our ranks include many people from a wide variety of walks of life—with passion, knowledge, and expertise—who are happy to contribute. Together with them, we want to develop an election platform that reflects the reality of life in Saxony-Anhalt and offers sound political solutions," said Thomas Schulze. In addition to Saxony-Anhalt, elections will also be held next year in Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and Berlin.