Sahra Wagenknecht
Never has a German party been as close to the 5% barrier as the BSW – which never tires of asking for a recount.
As elections legislative in Germany They were in February, practically a year ago, but there is a “soap opera” that continues.
The CDU/CSU coalition in these federal elections, with 28.5% of the votes. The AfD came in second place with 20.8%, while the SPD fell to third place (16.4%).
The Greens (11.6%) and Die Linke (8.8%) were the other political forces to gain deputies in the Bundestag, as they also received above 5% of the votes.
That 5% barrier It is important in Germany: whoever falls below 5% cannot elect any deputy.
Even if it remains there “at the door”, for example with 4.9% of the votes, that party does not enter the Bundestag.
That’s exactly what happened with the BSW – Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht.
The alliance formed and led by , a figure from far left; who, however, has also defended policies of far right.
Sahra is an old acquaintance in German politics. Perhaps the most charismatic political personality in the country. She was a member of the Bundestag for 16 years. From 2009 until 2023 she was a member of Die Linke (left), becoming a non-registered deputy from then on, when she founded the BSW – Aliança Sahra Wagenknecht.
Sahra was a communist but began to challenge the political scene in Germany, mixing radical left positions with conservative positions. She is praised by people on the left and is admired in far-right circles.
It takes advantage of the disillusionment of many Germans with politicians (also there), mixing criticism of immigration with neo-liberal policies and a defense of the welfare state and national sovereignty.
It’s a “left-wing conservatism”.
They insist on a recount
And it’s a “political earthquake”, warns the magazine, which also raises the possibility of BSW being able to elect deputies, 10 months after the elections.
But how?
Remembering the context: the Aliança Sahra Wagenknecht achieved 4.9% of the votes when the minimum to elect a deputy is 5%.
Specifically, BSW managed 4.981% of the votes. In the history of politics in Germany, never has a party with zero deputies been so close to the minimum threshold of 5%. He was just 9,529 votes away from electing a deputy.
BSW believes that it will still be able to reach 5%. And it has been demanding – for months – a recount of votes.
The process has dragged on, the party has insisted because, shortly after the votes were counted, clues initials of errors e confusions with other parties – particularly with Alliance Germany, which was immediately above Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht on the ballot paper. Something similar happened in Portugal with .
Also according to the party, an isolated analysis of recounts in some polling stations (not related to irregularities in the BSW) suggests that these recounts alone would result in a difference of almost 30,000 votes – enough for the BSW to enter the Bundestag.
The party presented complaint constitutional, requested an official recount and submitted a complaint revision election to the German Parliament.
Last week, the electoral review commission refused recount the votes. “It is likely that politics influenced this decision. The fear of the BSW having legitimate representation in the Bundestag and the Merz government losing its majority is apparently too great,” the party.
The BSW filed an appeal with the Federal Constitutional Court. And, if he wins, an imminent “political earthquake and the end of the Government” led by Friedrich Merz.
Having 5% does not mean that the party has only 1 deputy: in the 2002 elections, the PDS got 5.1% of the votes and ended up with 36 deputies.
Sahra Wagenknecht, herself, said on Friday that Germany has a “banana republic electoral review”.
Nuno Teixeira da Silva, ZAP //
