BSW conquers Berlin: Sahra Wagenknecht starts power game for 2026!

BSW conquers Berlin: Sahra Wagenknecht starts power game for 2026!

A breath of fresh air is blowing in Berlin: The new party “Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht – Reason and Justice” (BSW) has now set up nationwide district associations in all twelve Berlin districts. The last six associations were founded by Sunday afternoon. Co-country chief Alexander King emphasized the central role of these district associations for future political work, because a strong, anchored base is essential for the 2026 election campaign. This year, the House of Representatives and the district council assemblies are up for election, and the pressure to position yourself properly by then is great. According to rbb24, the founding of the district associations took about a year, which is due to a strict admission policy.

The number of BSW members has almost tripled since the federal election and is now around 300. The goal is to exceed the 1,000 member mark by the end of the year. “We are here to stay!” says King combatively. The focus of the upcoming election campaign includes, among other things, peace policy and coming to terms with the Corona policy. Particular attention is also paid to direct democracy, which indicates democratic coexistence.

2026 elections in sight

With the clear goal of entering all district parliaments and the House of Representatives in 2026, the BSW is operating in a competitive political environment. The focus is not only on mobilizing your own electorate, but also on your political competitors. Political scientist Jan Philipp Thomeczek is optimistic about the BSW's potential within Berlin's party landscape, especially given the fluctuating election results in the metropolis.

Important decisions were made at the founding meeting of the regional association in Adlershof. Alexander King was elected as co-chair with 75.8% and Josephine Thyrêt with 86.4%. This gives the BSW new strategic leadership and will help achieve the defined goals. The new regional association currently has 81 members and is the fifth of its kind in Germany. King and Thyrêt represent a mix of political experience and professional expertise, which will be crucial for the challenges ahead in the election campaign. Thyrêt, who, among other things, is chair of the works council at the Vivantes hospital group, brings valuable experience from the world of work.

The challenges of the election campaign

The campaign for the federal and local elections is a lot of work, and it doesn't start until the first projections are available. Typically, the campaign strategies are differentiated into the preparation phase, the pre-election campaign period and a heated final phase. The essential points include putting together campaign teams, the number of mobilizations and the selection of topics to be discussed in the media. In the final phase, which begins around six weeks before the election, voter mobilization is at the top of the agenda, as bpb.de notes.

Expectations are high: in the last federal election, the BSW won 6.7 percent of the votes in Berlin. With the support of a large number of working groups that focus on local policy issues, the basis has been laid for maintaining or even exceeding this level. It will be exciting to see how the BSW establishes itself on Berlin's political scene and what ideas it will bring with it.