Will a new Left-wing party shake up German politics?

Sahra Wagenknecht is about to set up a new party that combines left-wing social policies with a hard line on immigration. Will she have success?

Dear Reader,

Something quite fascinating is going to take place on Monday which could have far-reaching consequences for the future of German politics... or it could be a damp squib.

While it is still too early to tell just what impact a press conference announced by left-wing firebrand Sahra Wagenknecht will be, one thing is certain: her statements at the Bundespressekonferenz will rattle rivals from across the political spectrum.

It appears highly likely that Ms. Wagenknecht will announce the establishment of a new political party. She has already registered a political organization called the Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW), and it's difficult to discern any other purpose for the press conference than launching a new political movement.

Few German politicians can match Wagenknecht for name recognition. The daughter of a German mother and an Iranian father who grew up on the east side of the Berlin Wall, she is one of a handful of active politicians who is a household name. Articulate, …