Sahra Wagenknecht, a potent force from the German left-wing party Die Linke (“The Left”), has confirmed her decision to form a new party. At a book reading in Halle/Saale, the 54-year old vowed to fill the political void created by poor election results for The Left, leading many citizens to feel unrepresented. Wagenknecht’s reasoning behind this move? A belief that a political vacuum is detrimental for democracy, causing frustration and anger among the masses. “It’s time to create something new,” she asserted, marking the first public confirmation of her party’s foundation.
While rumours swirled around her potential party’s launch, Wagenknecht admits she contemplated this for months. Founding a party isn’t a decision to be made impulsively—it requires a cohesive team. “You can’t start something like that carelessly”, she said. “If so, it has to be so good that it can be a success. And I hope so now.” Despite the bold move, she emphasised that The Left party is not her political opponent and expressed regret over its current state.
On Monday, she introduced the Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht, an official club under this moniker that will precede the party’s establishment. Left party officials tried to shrug it off as a non-event. But who is Sahra Wagenknecht and what has propelled her to be lauded as the new breakthrough actor in German politics?
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