BSW Leadership Agrees on New Name, Striking Founder's Name from Title

The leadership of the Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) alliance has reached an agreement on a new official name for the party. The political group will henceforth be called “Bündnis Soziale Gerechtigkeit und Wirtschaftliche Vernunft” (Alliance for Social Justice and Economic Reason). The proposal, which aims to remove the founder’s name from the official title, was developed by the presidium and the board. The final decision on the name change is scheduled to take place at the BSW party conference in Magdeburg at the beginning of December, reports Newstoday24.de with reference to DIE ZEIT.

Party founder Sahra Wagenknecht had previously announced that the former full name, which was "BSW – Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht – Vernunft und Gerechtigkeit" (BSW – Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance – Reason and Justice), was intended only as a temporary solution and would soon be changed. Critics had accused the party of overly focusing the new foundation on Wagenknecht's personality. She, however, argued that the young party initially needed a high level of recognition to establish itself.

Wagenknecht’s future role within the party remains unclear. It is uncertain whether she will stand for the chairmanship again at the upcoming party conference. Co-Party Chair Amira Mohamed Ali recently stated that clarification regarding Wagenknecht's future function within the BSW is expected in the coming days. According to party sources, Wagenknecht is set to maintain a "leading role" in any case.

Wagenknecht is considered the driving force and the most recognizable figure of the BSW, which she founded in 2024 following her split from Die Linke (The Left) party. After its formation, the BSW initially saw success in the 2024 European elections and the state elections in East Germany. However, the party narrowly failed to cross the five-percent hurdle in the subsequent federal election in the spring. According to its own figures, the BSW recently had around 5,000 members.

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