New branding: BSW drops founder's name - now for real

On October 1st, the BSW party underwent an annouced renaming, ceasing to use the name of its founder Sahra Wagenknecht from that date. However, the abbreviation remains. The decision to change the party's name from "Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht" to "Bündnis Soziale Gerechtigkeit und Wirtschaftliche Vernunft" had already been made in December 2025.

The change was delayed due to the promotional effect in the state election campaigns. "The older members will remember: Raider is now Twix. Otherwise, nothing changes," the party explained. "Much like the BSW," said party officials. General Secretary Oliver Ruhnert confirmed that the decision to keep the founder's name in the party's name was made at the beginning for a transitional period.

"We utilized the name and popularity of our party founder to highlight our political profile and make our presence known in the party jungle," Ruhnert stated. "By now, the abbreviation BSW has become established." According to the party, hundreds of ideas were submitted for the new name. A party congress ultimately decided on the current version of the shortened name BSW. The former leader of the left faction, Wagenknecht, founded the party in 2024.