Zerfall Thüringer BSW: Thüringer BSW-Fraktion will Auflösung - Neugründung geplant

Following the departure of most of their members, the Thuringian BSW parliamentary faction plans to dissolve - paving the way for a new establishment. A fresh party named Thüringen.Gerecht was hastily formed by former BSW members, with former Vice Minister-President Katja Wolf at its helm. The newly-formed faction is expected to adopt the name of the new party, announced representatives of the former BSW faction.

The still-BWS faction currently has twelve members, but only two of the original name-bearing party members remain after recent departures. The legal status of the BWS faction is therefore deemed uncertain. Wolf's goal: retaining coalition government success, the former BSW Land Head, aims to preserve the governing ability of the defectors.

"A new faction needs a new party," she declared, aiming to prevent uncertainties and instabilities like those after the last Thuringian state election. The party's formation on Sunday came as a surprise to some of the former leadership, with the decision to secure legal clarity quickly made by one of the founders. "We want to be sure," they explained.

Former BSW members, including Wolf, pledged to continue supporting the CDU Minister-President Mario Voigt's government. Since late 2024, Thuringia has been governed by a unique coalition of CDU, BWS, and SPD, but the BWS's dissolution left it with only two remaining members, causing a crisis for the government. For CDU Chairman Voigt, the formation of Thüringen.Gerecht could bring "clarity and orderly conditions."

The BWS faction faces pressure from the new party, with new legal assessments prompting the decision to form the party quickly. The AfD faction demanded the abolition of the BWS faction's status and suspension of its funding in a weekend statement. Additionally, a three-day Landtag session starting Wednesday is planned to address the BWS faction's status.

Nine more Landtag members who were part of the BWS faction defected to the party this week, with one more having left the party days earlier but stayed in the group. Three more members left both the BWS and the faction and plan to form their own parliamentary group. The Thuringian BWS faction had fifteen members before the split, resulting from a conflict with the federal leadership and founder Sahra Wagenknecht.