Ayhan Simsek
08 September 2026•Update: 08 September 2026
The lead candidate of the left-wing Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) in Saxony-Anhalt has said no one who supports “any Zionist projects” can become the eastern German state’s next premier.
Claudia Wittig, speaking in an interview with Compact media, said the BSW is open to talks with other parties elected to the Magdeburg state parliament, without excluding the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD). She said they want an independent premier above party lines who supports peace policies.
“Our clear red line is that the new premier must be someone who pursues a policy of peace. And that rules out anyone who supports any kind of Zionist project,” Wittig said. She also criticized higher defense spending and investment in weapons production, arguing that course leads to more conflicts.
German media linked Wittig’s wording to her campaign pledge to oppose a possible plant by Israeli defense firm Elbit Systems in Sangerhausen, in the Mansfeld-Suedharz district, which her party strongly opposes.
The remarks come two days after the Sep. 6 state election, in which the AfD took 43.8% of the vote and 39 of 83 seats in the Magdeburg state parliament, three short of the 42 needed for a majority.
Every other major party except the BSW has ruled out a formal coalition or cooperation with the AfD. The state’s domestic intelligence agency classifies the AfD’s Saxony-Anhalt branch as a proven right-wing extremist organization, saying parts of the party promote a racist, ethnic understanding of national identity incompatible with Germany’s democratic constitutional order.
The BSW has said it is open to talks with the AfD but ruled out supporting a government led by AfD lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund. It has insisted on a change of government and an independent premier above party lines.
“We are not entering coalition negotiations; we are talking about projects,” Wittig said on Tuesday. The BSW would speak with all parties about the positions it wants for Saxony-Anhalt, she said.
