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Sahra Wagenknecht steps down as leader of German left-populist BSW

German politician Sahra Wagenknecht has stepped down as leader of the BSW, handing the reins to new co-chairs Fabio de Masi and Amira Mohamed Ali, as the party rebrands itself.

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Dec 08, 2025 - 09:55

Sahra Wagenknecht steps down as leader of German left-populist BSW

WISE NEWS PRESS / MAGDEBURG, GERMANY — DEC. 08, 2025

German politician Sahra Wagenknecht has officially stepped down as the leader of the left-populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), paving the way for a new leadership duo and a significant rebranding of the party.

At the party congress held in Magdeburg, delegates elected Fabio de Masi and Amira Mohamed Ali as the new co-chairs. Wagenknecht, the party’s founder and a prominent figure in German politics, announced that while she is leaving the chairmanship, she will remain active in politics and guide the party’s core values commission.

Leadership Change and Rebranding

Fabio de Masi, a Member of the European Parliament, secured 93.3 percent of the delegates' votes, while Amira Mohamed Ali received 82.6 percent. The leadership transition marks a pivotal moment for the party, which was founded in January 2024 by former members of The Left (Die Linke) party.

In addition to the leadership overhaul, the congress voted to change the party's name from "Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance" to the "Alliance for Social Justice and Economic Reason." This change, approved by a majority of delegates, is set to take effect in October 2026. Until then, the party will contest upcoming state elections in Saxony-Anhalt, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and Berlin under its current name.

Policy Shifts: Ukraine and Energy

The congress also served as a platform to criticize the current federal government coalition of the CDU/CSU and SPD. Delegates passed a motion condemning the increase in the defense budget and the recently approved military reform.

The BSW explicitly called for an end to military aid for Ukraine and demanded the resumption of natural gas imports from Russia. Despite failing to cross the 5 percent threshold in the early federal elections held in February, the party has gained traction in eastern German states, currently participating in coalition governments in Brandenburg and Thuringia.