Will a new Left-wing party shake up German politics?
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, glamorous, and unwaveringly self-confident, Wagenknecht stands out in a crowd of largely grey politicians. She is anything but media-shy. Turn on your television in the evening, and you are likely to find her on the couch of one of Germany's plethora of political talk shows.
She is officially a member of the hard-left Linke party but has been relegated to the backbenches after losing a power struggle with a younger generation several years ago.
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