Sahra Wagenknecht predicts Friedrich Merz may leave Chancellorship by Christmas

Sahra Wagenknecht, founder of the BSW party, has predicted that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz may leave his position by Catholic Christmas, December 25. In an interview with the RND network, Wagenknecht stated, “I assume that Friedrich Merz will no longer be Chancellor by Christmas.”

Regarding regional politics, BSW is currently the only party signaling a willingness to cooperate with the Alternative for Germany (AfD), which could allow the AfD to lead a state government. Wagenknecht warned the AfD against abandoning government formation, noting that doing so could trigger early elections in Saxony-Anhalt. She cautioned that if the AfD pursues new elections, many of its voters might question the party's stance on their votes.

Wagenknecht suggested that Ulrich Sigmund, the AfD leader in Saxony-Anhalt, must be prepared to form a minority government without BSW support. While new elections could potentially remove BSW from the state parliament, she noted that the AfD also has reasons to avoid them. She expressed hope for the possibility of proposing a “cross-party premier,” a concept also advocated in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.