From DW News.
The “Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht” party or BSW is scrambling definitions of left and right ahead of Germany’s upcoming elections. Its leader Sahra Wagenknecht stems from the far left, but now accuses her former allies of being obsessed with identity politics rather than the interests of the working class. Her party is running on a mix of policies with both left-wing and right-wing characteristics.
In this episode of Berlin Briefing, DW’s Richard Walker and Matthew Moore break down the party’s positions together with German historian Katja Hoyer. From the BSW’s opposition to NATO, climate policies, and sending weapons to Ukraine, to its call for a stronger welfare state and a revival of Germany’s traditional industries with energy from Russia – the team build up a picture of this taboo-busting party and end with predictions about its impact on the political landscape.
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DW’s Matthew Moore: BSW profile with Sahra Wagenknecht interview
DW’s Ben Knight: What is Germany’s populist BSW party?
https://www.dw.com/en/what-is-germanys-populist-bsw-party/a-69958619
Books by Katja Hoyer:
https://www.katjahoyer.online/books
0:00 Introduction
1:27 Who is Sahra Wagenknecht?
2:49 Charisma
5:07 Communist roots
7:00 Early successes
9:00 Left or right?
11:35 Anti-woke
13:54 Anti-NATO
16:20 Ukraine
18:03 Welfare, rent caps
20:45 COVID, climate
22:58 Migration
25:34 Left-wing conservatism
26:40 Who’s voting BSW
28:37 BSW vs. AfD
31:10 Predictions
34:57 Impact
37:13 After Sahra?
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