German politician Sahra Wagenknecht has launched a new party, BSW, aiming to attract votes from those who appreciate both cultural traditions and left-wing economics.

The BSW is all about increasing minimum wage, abandoning net-zero policies, and putting the brakes on weapon shipments to Ukraine.

Wagenknecht, 54, a former Member of the European Parliament and big name in German politics, has shaken the political scene with the move, pointing out that the electorate is starting to lose trust in the usual political faces.

Born in communist East Germany to a German mother and Iranian father, she joined the Socialist Unity Party (SED) iin 1989, just before the fall of the Berlin Wall .

Post-German reunification, she stuck with the SED’s successor, which later merged into the left-wing Die Linke.

She started off in the European Parliament and then landed a seat in the German parliament, the Bundestag.

As time passed, she got became more vocal about her issues with immigration, especially after 2015 when a massive influx of some one million migrants from Syria and other places arrived in Germany.

According to Sarah Wagner from Queen’s University Belfast, she built a solid reputation for being about anti-immigration and pro-cultural Conservatism, especially in the eastern parts of Germany.

Political guru Cas Mudde points out that there’s a notable group of left-wing conservative voters out there, but most of them care more about their cultural views than economic ones.

Now, Sahra Wagenknecht’s launching the BSW – or Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht – and plans to put it to the test in the upcoming European elections in July.

But the real showtime will be the September state elections in eastern Germany.

According to Sahra Wagner, the BSW might lure voters away from the AfD, throwing a wrench in the far-right party’s dreams of clinching a state election win.

While the AfD has been riding high in the polls, the BSW is reportedly rolling out with €1.4m ($1.5m; £1.2m) in the bank.

German politics hasn’t been kind to parties tied to specific individuals in the past, but for now, it looks like the political scene in the EU’s largest economy is gearing up for something of a wild ride, with voters choosing from a record eight major parties.

Image: Reference: 2006_WagenkCopyright: © European Union 2006 – EP

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