German politicians call for surveillance of 'Putin's friends' party

Several members of the Bundestag and the European Parliament from Germany have stated that the activities of the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) are "directed against the free democratic order" and should therefore be placed under intelligence surveillance.

"The Office for the Protection of the Constitution must take action and place BSW under observation to determine whether it poses a serious threat to the democratic order," said MEP Moritz Körner from the Free Democratic Party (FDP).

Meanwhile, Gordon Hoffmann, secretary general of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Brandenburg, said that the Wagenknecht Alliance "is a security threat and a gateway to extremism in our state."

According to Spiegel, the calls for surveillance were prompted by the party’s recent defense of pro-Russian propagandist Alina Lipp, who is under EU sanctions.

In addition, BSW members in the state of Brandenburg expressed support for the organization Friedensbrücke (Peace Bridge), whose leader is suspected of financing terrorist activities in eastern Ukraine.

Who is Sahra Wagenknecht

Sahra Wagenknecht is a member of Germany’s Left Party (Die Linke). From July 2004 to July 2009, she served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) as part of the European United Left–Nordic Green Left group.

She is known for her pro-Russian and Eurosceptic views, which have earned her the nickname "Putin’s friend."

Wagenknecht previously promoted her peace plan for Ukraine, which called for halting Western military aid to Kyiv in exchange for Vladimir Putin’s agreement to an immediate ceasefire along the current front line.

In the February 2024 parliamentary elections, BSW failed to enter the Bundestag, receiving 4.97% of the vote.

Recently, Wagenknecht also expressed openness to political dialogue with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.