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BSW Resets Leadership and Name as Wagenknecht Steps Back at Magdeburg Congress

Delegates signaled a push to institutionalize beyond Wagenknecht’s persona before the 2026 state elections.

Overview

  • Fabio De Masi and Amira Mohamed Ali were elected co-chairs with about 93.3% and 82.6% of delegate votes, respectively.
  • Delegates approved a rebrand to “Bündnis für soziale Gerechtigkeit und wirtschaftliche Vernunft” after next year’s state votes, retaining the BSW acronym.
  • Sahra Wagenknecht left the party executive to chair a new Grundwertekommission, and Oliver Ruhnert was chosen as general secretary.
  • Debate at the congress exposed sharp divisions over BSW’s roles in the Brandenburg and Thuringia coalitions as federal leaders vowed to increase pressure on those state governments.
  • Leaders reaffirmed a peace-first line critical of rearmament, reported roughly 11,200 members with looser admissions, and said the party will pursue a legal bid over the federal election after a recount was rejected by a Bundestag committee.