The possibility of a major shake-up at the helm of the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) is looming, as Brandenburg’s Deputy Minister-President and Finance Minister, Robert Crumbach, has signaled his intention to potentially contend for a leadership role. In an interview with “Welt” Crumbach stated he is considering a candidacy for either party chairperson or deputy chairperson at the upcoming federal party conference this weekend in Magdeburg.
The announcement comes amidst a transition period for the BSW, following Sahra Wagenknecht’s decision to step down from the party’s top position. The current proposal for a dual leadership consisting of Amira Mohamed Ali and Fabio De Masi is now facing a potential challenger.
Crumbach’s motivation stems from a perceived need for broader political representation within the party’s leadership. He voiced concerns about the BSW inadvertently replicating the structural issues that led to the decline of its predecessor, the Left Party (Die Linke). “We set out not to be Linke 2.0, yet we are mirroring its personnel structure” he asserted, criticizing a tendency towards individuals prioritizing self-preservation over the party’s broader objectives. He emphasized the BSW’s foundational aim of attracting disillusioned SPD voters by offering a novel approach to politics, a goal he believes is being hindered by a reliance on personnel from the old Left Party.
The departure of Wagenknecht has, according to Crumbach, created a “power vacuum” and the party’s current focus has become “monothematic” overly reliant on its peace policy platform. He argues that broader expertise in areas such as tax, finance and labor market policy is crucial for the party’s success. He also stressed the necessity of revisiting the “founding consensus” – which encompasses concepts like “fair labor market and social policy, economic pragmatism and a different migration policy.
Furthermore, Crumbach underscored a critical need for greater representation of Eastern Germany within the party’s leadership. The BSW has achieved significant electoral success in states like Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg – the latter two governed by the party. He warned that a leadership solely drawn from Western Germany would severely handicap the party’s prospects in upcoming state elections in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
The brewing contest for the BSW leadership is not occurring in a vacuum. Recent internal conflict surrounding the media treaty in Brandenburg, which required the support of the opposition CDU to pass due to a BSW faction’s refusal, has exposed a fundamental ideological rift within the party. Crumbach questioned whether the party aimed to actively shape policy or simply to remain in a constant state of criticism.
Despite these internal tensions, Crumbach defended the BSW’s year of participation in the Brandenburg coalition government, citing achievements such as securing industrial jobs, promoting social housing, increasing police staffing and extending rent control measures in collaboration with the SPD. He defended his positive assessment of the coalition experience, contrasting it with what he perceives as a potential inclination towards negativity within some factions of the party.
