Politics · Germany · 7 hrs ago
BSW leaders face criticism after dinner with AfD figures in Magdeburg
BSW and AfD politicians from Saxony-Anhalt attended a dinner in Magdeburg with Jürgen Elsässer, who runs the right-wing magazine Compact, and former AfD state leader André Poggenburg.
The dinner followed the opening of a new TV studio for Compact.
Elsässer said 25 lawmakers attended, including 20 from the AfD and five from the BSW.
Photos of BSW state leader Claudia Wittig and AfD figures drinking together prompted criticism inside the BSW.
Wittig said the pictures gave a false impression of political closeness and that staying for dinner was a mistake.
BSW founder Sahra Wagenknecht said talks with other parties are appropriate, but shared dinners are not.
The dispute comes as the BSW is also facing internal strains in several German states, and the party leadership is trying to contain the fallout.
BSW leaders in Saxony-Anhalt attended a dinner in Magdeburg with AfD figures, Compact editor Jürgen Elsässer and former AfD state leader André Poggenburg.
The gathering followed the opening of a television studio for Elsässer’s magazine, Compact.
BSW state leader Claudia Wittig said it was unwise to stay for dinner and that the party regretted the decision.
BSW founder Sahra Wagenknecht criticized the dinner, while saying talks with all parties represented in the state parliament were appropriate.
Elsässer said 25 state parliament members attended: 20 from the AfD and five from the BSW.
- Who
- BSW leaders Claudia Wittig and Thomas Schulze attended with AfD figures, Jürgen Elsässer and André Poggenburg.
- What
- They attended a dinner after the opening of a Compact television studio.
- When
- Not stated.
- Where
- Magdeburg, Germany.
- Why
- They were invited to the studio opening; the dinner followed the event.
BSW leaders who attended
BSW leaders who criticized the dinner
Appropriateness of dinner
BSW leaders who attended
Wittig initially said people with different political views could eat and drink together.
BSW leaders who criticized the dinner
Wagenknecht said shared dinners were completely out of line.
Meaning of the gathering
BSW leaders who attended
Wittig said the impression of political closeness conveyed by photos was wrong.
BSW leaders who criticized the dinner
Fabio De Masi warned against any impression of “camaraderie” or a privileged partnership with the AfD.
Response
BSW leaders who attended
Wittig said staying for dinner was unwise and that the party regretted the mistake.
BSW leaders who criticized the dinner
Wagenknecht drew a distinction between appropriate talks with parliamentary parties and inappropriate shared dinners.
The impression of political closeness conveyed by the photos is wrong.
Talking with all parties represented in the state parliament is right. Shared dinners are completely out of line.
It was unwise to stay for the subsequent dinner. We regret the mistake; something like this will not happen again.
There must not be an impression of camaraderie or a privileged partnership with the AfD.
BSW and AfD figures attended the opening of Elsässer’s new Compact television studio in Magdeburg, followed by dinner.
Photos of politicians eating and raising glasses circulated online.
Wittig initially defended the gathering on X, then said staying for dinner was unwise and apologized.
Wagenknecht criticized the shared dinner, while saying talks with parliamentary parties were appropriate.
- Location
- Magdeburg
- Host
- Jürgen Elsässer, editor of Compact
- BSW attendees
- Claudia Wittig and Thomas Schulze
- AfD attendees
- Tobias Rausch and Oliver Kirchner
- Attendance
- 25 state parliament members: 20 from the AfD and five from the BSW
Sources
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