Overview
- Jouleen Gruhn, Melanie Matzies, André von Ossowski and Reinhard Simon left the Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht, citing “authoritarian tendencies” and “radicalized positions” inside the party.
- The four will remain in the Landtag faction as non‑party members and say they will support government work, yet the SPD–BSW alliance is now numerically short of an absolute majority.
- The rift stems from two media‑state treaties on public broadcaster reform and youth media protection, which most of the BSW faction plans to oppose despite Finance Minister Robert Crumbach’s backing.
- An internal BSW roll‑call showed nine against, three abstentions and one in favor of the treaties, and the dispute escalated with a no‑confidence motion against faction leader Niels‑Olaf Lüders.
- The Hauptausschuss holds a preliminary vote today before a Landtag decision on Nov. 19–20, with the CDU signaling possible support that could pass the treaties even if BSW votes no; SPD leaders plan talks and aim to keep the coalition intact as Sahra Wagenknecht criticizes the defectors but signals continued dialogue.