Politics · Germany · 5 hrs ago
21-year-old John Lucas Dittrich elected BSW leader in Saxony-Anhalt
The BSW elected 21-year-old John Lucas Dittrich as its sole leader in Saxony-Anhalt at a party meeting in Magdeburg.
The party has five seats in the state parliament, where the AfD has 39 and the CDU, SPD, Greens and Left together also have 39.
That balance gives the BSW influence over which laws and motions can pass.
The party is open to parliamentary cooperation with the AfD and joined it in October to call for an end to sanctions on Russia and a stop to weapons deliveries to Ukraine.
In December, lawmakers will choose a state premier, with AfD politician Ulrich Siegmund and Left Party politician Eva von Angern running; the BSW says it will abstain.
Dittrich’s election comes after internal disputes and departures in the state party, and founder Sahra Wagenknecht urged members to move past the disagreements.
John Lucas Dittrich, 21, was elected sole leader of the BSW in Saxony-Anhalt.
Delegates chose him with 83.8 percent of the vote at a party conference in Magdeburg on Saturday.
Dittrich had no opposing candidate and has been active in the BSW since 2024.
The BSW holds five seats in the state parliament, where the AfD has 39 and four other parties together have 39.
The BSW says it is open to parliamentary initiatives with the AfD and plans to abstain in the December vote for state premier.
- Who
- John Lucas Dittrich, a 21-year-old BSW politician, was elected sole state leader.
- What
- Delegates elected him with 83.8 percent of the vote.
- When
- Saturday, November 14, 2026.
- Where
- At a BSW state party conference in Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt.
- Why
- Not stated
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The AfD and BSW jointly secured a special session of the state parliament and called for an end to sanctions against Russia and a halt to arms deliveries to Ukraine.
Delegates elected Dittrich BSW state leader with 83.8 percent of the vote.
Saxony-Anhalt is due to elect a state premier; the BSW has said it will abstain.
- Age
- Dittrich is 21
- Election result
- 83.8 percent
- Party conference
- Magdeburg
- BSW state parliament seats
- 5
- AfD state parliament seats
- 39
- Other parties' combined seats
- CDU, SPD, Greens and Left: 39
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What people are saying
We are the deciding vote in the state parliament, and we decide which law is passed and which motion gets a majority.
We have more power than some parties with 40 percent.