BSW Chief Fabio De Masi has strongly criticized Die Linke’s willingness to potentially form an alliance with the CDU in Saxony-Anhalt. Speaking to the “Welt”, De Masi asserted that Die Linke represents “the last safety net for the CDU” and warned that should the situation become serious, the party would be acting in support of the Merz faction.
The criticism arises amid the September state election in Saxony-Anhalt, where the AfD currently holds the lead and could potentially establish a single-party government with Ulrich Siegmund as its top candidate. However, Die Linke leaders recently expressed openness during their federal party congress in Potsdam to cooperate with both the CDU and sitting Minister-President Sven Schulze post-election, with the stated goal of preventing the AfD from entering the government.
According to De Masi, this pattern of collaboration between the CDU and Die Linke has been observable before. He noted that Die Linke is more reliable than the Young Union and helped pave the way for Merz’s bid for the chancellorship. Furthermore, De Masi pointed to previous instances, such as Die Linke supporting the abolition of the debt brake for military upgrades-which he views as “the trigger for attacks on the welfare state”-and helping Merz achieve a majority on the pension package. He concluded that Die Linke’s current announcement of unconditional support for the CDU minister-president in Saxony-Anhalt is “fatal,” arguing that this “generic mix” only serves to strengthen the AfD. He emphasized the stark divergence of goals: the BSW seeks to overthrow Merz, while Die Linke is poised to support him.
Additionally, De Masi advocated for a model he termed a “democratic restart,” envisioning a cross-party minister-president leading a government that manages shifting coalitions. This framework, he suggested, should include reforms to public broadcasting and school policies, as well as pushing for a pension reform in the Bundesrat modeled after Austria’s system.
