Did you choose January 27th, the day of remembrance of the victims of National Socialism, for the first party conference of the Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) in order to be able to clearly differentiate yourself from the AfD?
No. We founded the party in January and then had to comply with deadlines, including for the nomination of candidates for the European elections. There were therefore only a few weekends to choose from; we also had to find a venue. When January 27th was set, we of course honored it accordingly.
Several speakers have strongly differentiated themselves from the AfD. However, the language of the BSW certainly has polemical features that are reminiscent of the AfD, such as the talk of a “completely out-of-touch Berlin bubble that ignores the true will of the people.”
You would only have to differentiate yourself if a boundary was not clear before or if there was something in common beforehand. But that's not the case. What many speakers have done is take a clear position. I find the parallels that are repeatedly drawn absurd. We as BSW clearly express what we believe is reasonable and right. It depends on the content.
You also talked a lot about the supposed division in society. Will you benefit from this diagnosis?
With all due respect, this is not a supposed division, it really exists and it is very obvious. We want this division to become less and for society to come together more again. For example, the gap between rich and poor must finally close again and not widen further and further. More and more people are turning away from politics in frustration, no longer taking part in elections or are worried that if they express their opinion and it doesn't quite fit into the mainstream, they will be ostracized. I believe that you can only change something if you clearly name things.
So far, one has the impression that your program relies primarily on differentiation from traffic lights. By when should a party program be available?
I think that so far we have not only set ourselves apart from everything, as you put it. Because we are already saying very clearly what we are for and not just against what. We have drawn up an extensive election program for the European elections. A detailed party program should be available by the federal election at the latest. Exactly when the expert councils will meet for the first time will become clear in the next few weeks.
Who will be on the expert council, people from the party environment?
Not only. We have the advantage that we have many high-profile experts on many topics in our ranks. We will of course include them. But we will also bring in external people. We don't just want to talk to ourselves.
They demand a new political culture and complain about a harsh tone. However, you are serving this yourself when you call the traffic light the “stupidest government in Europe” that is “punching through” its policies against the “true will” of the population.
But that's how it is. It's not about everyone just being nice to each other. It is important that in the political debate it is clearly stated when something is going really badly. After all, we're not talking about little things here, but about political decisions that have drastic consequences for millions of people, for example the heating law or the government's abolition of subsidies for farmers. Part of the dissatisfaction certainly comes from the fact that things are no longer expressed clearly. And when it comes to tone, our criticism relates to the fact that more and more citizens are experiencing that if they have different opinions, they are defamed or even canceled. That is the problem and not an overly harsh tone in the political debate.
Her former colleague at the head of the left-wing faction, Dietmar Bartsch, believes that the media hype surrounding the BSW will soon diminish. Gregor Gysi continues to accuse you and other former Left MPs of stealing your Bundestag mandates. Do you have a message for your former party colleagues?
No I haven't. I didn't leave the left in a bad way. Our paths have now separated, and for me everything has been said.
You stand together with Sahra Wagenknecht at the head of the BSW, the dominant and eponymous figure of the new party. How can equal leadership succeed?
We succeed in joint leadership because we act on equal terms. The tasks that we have before us – organizationally and politically – are very big, we are aware of that. I am very confident that we will overcome it.