4 June 2026 

This is Sahra Wagenknecht’s newsletter. In it, I provide regular updates on my activities and current political issues. 

­

Germany is in danger of being relegated. This is mainly down to an incompetent head coach who loves the sponsors more than his own supporters and is unable to motivate his divided team to score goals. If we want to compete at the very top of the world stage in future, we must do so without this Chancellor. He pursues policies that serve BlackRock and the upper classes and has no respect for ordinary citizens. He is running Germany into the ground with his military build-up and is sitting on Donald Trump’s lap whilst our industry goes to the dogs. Instead of a better future for our children, we have conscription and schools in a state of disrepair. Over 80 per cent of Germans have had enough of Merz and consider him incompetent. For the BSW, one thing is certain: Red card for Merz! This Chancellor must be sent off! That’s why we’re taking to the streets: on 13 June in Magdeburg at 4 pm on Willy-Brandt-Platz. Come along, everyone – together we demand: Merz must go!

Vote Merz out

Soaring prices, a shrinking industrial sector, a growing threat of war: Merz is driving our country into decline. We must stop this government before it’s too late! Voting the CDU Minister-President out of office in the state election in Saxony-Anhalt this September could bring Merz down. That is why it is all the more important for the BSW to win seats in the state parliament. For this is the only way to ensure that the established parties lose their majority. In my interview with Apollo News, I explain why the BSW will definitely not be voting for the CDU candidate Sven Schulze and why we are calling for an independent Minister-President who will form a cabinet of experts and govern with majority coalitions.

[Apollo News is an online news outlet]

Undemocratic firewall

[The ‘firewall’ as explained before is the imperative to ostracise the AfD].

AfD: “A slap in the face to voters!” – Wagenknecht tears into the “firewall” on WELT!

It is completely undemocratic to permanently exclude a party that is voted for by around 40 per cent of the electorate. Regardless of one’s views on that party’s positions. The ‘firewall’ has failed. The fact that we in Thuringia ourselves took part in a ‘firewall’ coalition [i.e. a coalition that excluded the AfD] with very little political common ground has seriously damaged the BSW’s credibility and only served to strengthen the AfD. We will not repeat this mistake. In my interview with WELT TV, I discuss why a new approach is urgently needed to overcome polarisation in Germany.

[WELT TV is a mainstream news channel; Axel Springer owns both the TV channel and the newspaper DIE WELT, the newspaper of record in Germany.] The interview is dubbed in English and can be seen on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl-c1N9IpNg

Fear of a snap election

Friedrich Merz is afraid of a snap election. No wonder: Merz is the most unpopular Chancellor of all time. The approval ratings for the CDU/CSU and the SPD are in free fall. Yet instead of changing their disastrous policies and finally representing the interests of the public, the divided coalition partners are continuing to run our country into the ground. We want to drive another nail into the Merz government’s coffin and ensure that the CDU Minister-President of Saxony-Anhalt loses his post!

[this is a brief item also dubbed in English on the BSW YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OXsFBUtvTgo]

Stupid double standards

When the US breaches international law, Merz couldn’t care less. When Russia breaches international law, the German government drives our economy into ruin with sanctions. Enough of this ridiculous double standard! Why Germany’s industrial decline will be unstoppable without affordable Russian oil and gas, and why there is an urgent need for talks on a diplomatic solution in Ukraine – I discussed these and other issues with Claudia Wittig, the BSW’s lead candidate in Saxony-Anhalt, and political scientist Johannes Varwick.

Wagenknecht, Wittig, and Varwick debated these questions in the packed Volkspark in Halle. 

[This is the dubbed content of a large public meeting in Halle.

Out-of-touch politics

BlackRock chancellor and multimillionaire Merz wants Germans to work longer and gamble away their retirement savings on the stock markets. You can’t get any more out of touch than that! Does Merz even have any idea what it’s like to get up every morning just to scrape by and provide for your family? Or what it means to work for decades and pay contributions, only to find in the end that you can barely make ends meet on a meagre pension? At the BSW rally in Berlin, I spoke about why we urgently need a return to policies that improve people’s lives, rather than burdening them with ever more cuts. You can watch the video of my full speech and the contributions from all the other speakers here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbDrBlS7Kfc

Expensive gifts to Ukraine

The war in Ukraine has already cost German taxpayers over 100 billion euros. This year alone, a further eleven billion is being sent to Kyiv in military aid. On top of that comes the EU’s 90-billion gift, which is largely financed by German taxpayers. As if that weren’t enough, CDU politician Norbert Röttgen is calling for even more money for Ukraine. How mad can you get? No, we don’t need any more billions in German taxpayers’ money for the corrupt Zelenskyy government in Kyiv! What is needed, at long last, is a diplomatic initiative from the federal government to end this senseless war. Merz and the CDU are pursuing policies that work against their own people and must be voted out of office as a matter of urgency!

­No money for Nazi admirers!

Whilst German government politicians want to hand over further billions in taxpayers’ money to Kyiv, the Zelenskyy government is paying homage, with great fanfare, to the Ukrainian Nazi collaborator Andriy Melnyk. The far-right machinations and the open cult of Nazism within the Ukrainian government seem to be of little interest to the otherwise so active ‘fighters against the far right’. After all, this does not sit well with the narrative they have been trying to sell us for years – that Ukraine is also defending ‘our values’. Enough of this double standard! Not a single cent more for Ukraine!

Is Merz driving us into war?

This Saturday, we’re launching a campaign against the Merz government with a rally in Magdeburg. We’re taking to the streets to protest against rearmament, the threat of war, cuts to social services and the energy crisis! The kick-off for ‘Our 2026 World Cup: Out with Merz!’ is at 4 pm on Willy-Brandt-Platz. I’ll be speaking there and would love to see as many of you as possible. With this Chancellor, Germany is in danger of being relegated. Merz needs to be sent off. Let’s show him the red card together!

The threat of war is growing

By handing out billions in aid to the corrupt Zelenskyy government, Merz has turned Germany into the main financier of the war in Ukraine. This is not only a staggering misappropriation of taxpayers’ money, but also extremely dangerous! After all, Ukraine is currently stepping up attacks on targets deep within Russian territory – something that would not be possible without financial and technological support from Germany. Why this increases the risk of a retaliatory strike by the nuclear power Russia against Germany, and why we must take to the streets to protest against the Merz government before it is too late – I discuss these and other questions in a new podcast with Salim Samatou. [A stand up comic].

A wonderful freedom of expression?

When he was leader of the Union parliamentary group, Friedrich Merz commissioned a company to comb through the internet and bring legal proceedings against hundreds of citizens for alleged insults. And it is precisely this same Merz who is now stepping forward to extol the state of freedom of expression in Germany. Is this not the height of hypocrisy? Has the Chancellor ever wondered whether the fact that citizens are being fined for sometimes trivial criticisms of politicians, or that the police suddenly turn up at their door to carry out a search, might have an intimidating effect? This must stop! This government should be consigned to the dustbin of history as soon as possible.

18 June

The launch of our campaign against the Merz government was a resounding success! Despite some rain at times, over 1,000 people turned out for our rally in Magdeburg. This shows that Germany is in World Cup spirit – and in ‘Get rid of Merz’ spirit! The event, including all the speeches, can be viewed here

Get rid of Merz!

The Merz government is driving Germany into decline. More and more industrial companies are relocating or going bust, and hundreds of thousands of well-paid jobs are being destroyed. Whilst there are shortages everywhere and people’s lives are constantly getting worse, the federal government is, in all seriousness, discussing where else it can make cuts. Yet there is an unlimited supply of money available – solely to prolong the senseless war in Ukraine and to finance the corrupt Zelenskyy government. Enough is enough! East Germans can stop Merz and his disastrous policies in September. Anyone who votes for the BSW to oust the CDU and SPD minister-presidents in the east and pave the way for a cross-party minister-president will also send Merz into retirement! My speech at our ‘Get rid of Merz’ rally.

Chancellor of Insolvencies

The vulture of bankruptcy is circling over the German economy and more and more workers are losing their jobs. Last year alone, 120,000 industrial workers fell victim to company bankruptcies. In the first few months of this year, an average of around 70 companies a day filed for insolvency. With its toxic mix of policies – comprising overpriced energy, excessive regulation and billions in debt for rearmament and Zelenskyy – the Merz government is destroying prosperity on a massive scale. We must stop this Chancellor before our country suffers irreparable damage! My interview with Tichys Einblick.

“Today’s public service broadcasting is a disaster”

Claudia Wittig was no longer willing to stand by and watch as Germany continues its downward spiral. She is standing as the BSW’s lead candidate in the state election in Saxony-Anhalt. Where does the frustration – particularly amongst East Germans – with the established parties and media stem from? Can public service broadcasting still be reformed? And what coalitions are on the cards for the BSW? I discussed these issues with Claudia in an episode of “Sahra meets”.

Excuses from ARD and ZDF

The BSW is the only party to be almost completely excluded from public service broadcasting. This is undemocratic and a slap in the face for our voters. Ahead of the eastern state elections, the media firewall against the BSW is being raised even higher.

The ARD’s response to our complaint is a bad joke. To pass off the blatant bias of state broadcasting and the invitation of the same old war propagandists as editorial freedom is truly brazen. Public service broadcasting has long since failed to fulfil its remit. The BSW boycott is just the tip of the iceberg.

It is no coincidence that the “Tagesschau” increasingly reminds East Germans of “Aktuelle Kamera” [GDR state TV as was]. Public service broadcasting no longer has anything to do with balanced reporting and diversity of opinion. The WELT (paywall) reports on this unfortunate incident.

25 June

Never again war!

This week, on 22 June, marked the 85th anniversary of Hitler’s Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union. Twenty-seven million people fell victim to the Nazis’ campaign of extermination on the territory of the former Soviet Union, the majority of them Russians. It is a scandal that this day is increasingly being erased from public remembrance in Germany. This disgraceful approach to remembrance is, unfortunately, in keeping with the new German zeitgeist, which seeks to mentally prepare us for the next war with Russia. It is a complete disregard for history and extremely dangerous that, once again today, targets deep within Russia are being attacked and Russian civilians killed using German weapons, German technology and German money. 22 June should serve as a reminder that such a thing must never be repeated. But whoever brings war to Russia with German weapons will, at some point, bring war to Germany too. The German government must urgently prioritise diplomacy over escalation and do everything in its power to prevent another catastrophe that, in the nuclear age, could wipe out the whole of Germany. Never again war!

The ‘Atlantic Bridge’ Chancellor

How embarrassing! No matter how often Trump insults, threatens or slaps punitive tariffs on Merz and the Europeans, our ‘Atlantic Bridge’ Chancellor stands ready to curry favour with ‘Daddy’ Trump. Enough is enough! Germany finally needs a chancellor again who represents our interests, rather than kowtowing to the US.

“Merz doesn’t need to teach East Germans about democracy!”

Thomas Schulze knows a thing or two about life. The 62-year-old initially worked as a chef and restaurant manager in the GDR. After reunification, he moved into the prison service. Since 2024, he has been working at the Stendal refugee accommodation centre and, alongside this, he was also a member of the German Football Association’s Youth Advisory Board. He will be standing as the BSW’s lead candidate in the state election in Saxony-Anhalt. Why did he join the BSW? How does he intend, with our party, to finally put the interests of the people back at the centre of attention after decades of disastrous policies? And what does he make of the ‘firewall’ against the AfD? I spoke to Thomas about this in an episode of ‘Sahra meets’.

Alexander King gives the Berlin government a dressing-down

The Berlin Senate is failing to take any action to protect the economy and citizens from exorbitant energy prices and to improve the lives of workers. Instead, Berlin too is setting its course for a war footing. In three recent speeches on the phasing out of the fuel rebate, wage dumping in the healthcare sector and Bundeswehr recruitment in schools, our Berlin BSW MP and lead candidate for the House of Representatives election, Alexander King, gives the Berlin state government a piece of his mind.

2 July

BSW takes on the AfD

What a fuss in the press: they claim the BSW is ‘catering to the AfD’, that we are acting as ‘stepping stones’ on their path to power; there is talk of a ‘secret letter’ and a ‘change of course’. How much of this is true? None of it! The party leaders and the Secretary-General of the BSW have written a letter to the party leaders of the AfD, offering to make our campaign stages in Magdeburg and Schwerin available for a public debate between Alice Weidel and myself, because we believe that such a discussion would be of interest to many voters in the federal states concerned. Furthermore, in the letter we reiterated our electoral objective: to oust the incumbent CDU and SPD ministers-president and replace them with non-partisan ministers-president who represent the will of the majority of people in the East on key issues. The so-called “secret letter” can be read here.

Billions for terrorists

The Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office has now charged the Ukrainian prime suspect in the Nord Stream bombing with war crimes. What else actually has to happen before the German government finally takes action? Everyone knows that the Ukrainian government – most likely Zelenskyy himself – ordered this act of terrorism. As a ‘thank you’ for the destruction of our energy infrastructure, Merz cheerfully keeps sending billions in ‘gifts’ to Kyiv, where they seep away into the quagmire of corruption. Enough is enough! This misappropriation of taxpayers’ money must be stopped immediately. Instead of continuing to make us a laughing stock in the eyes of the world, the German government should endeavour to resume importing affordable Russian gas via the section of the pipeline that is still intact. That would be a huge relief for the economy and consumers!

Censorship of alternative media?

Whilst public service broadcasting is losing more and more support due to its one-sided government propaganda, successful alternative media outlets are coming under the scrutiny of state interference.

For example, the podcaster Ben Berndt (“Ungeskriptet”) was asked in a letter by the State Media Authority of North Rhine-Westphalia to edit an interview with AfD politician Björn Höcke retrospectively, because he had failed to correct a false statement made by Höcke. Furthermore, Berndt is required to retrospectively review his entire content to ensure compliance with journalistic standards of care. I find this extremely worrying. It is unacceptable for a state authority to dictate how an interview should have been conducted. Following this logic, ARD and ZDF would also have to review their entire programming once again against ‘journalistic principles’ and revise all those programmes in which, for example, vaccination fanatics like Karl Lauterbach or warmongers like Roderich Kiesewetter were able to spread unchallenged nonsense. We need diversity of opinion, not state interference! This applies above all to public service broadcasting, which must be removed from the influence of political parties and fundamentally reformed.

­

­

­