Populist split on German left a 'gift' to the far right, leader says

The co-leader of Germany's far-left Die Linke (The Left) blamed the upstart populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) for the party's poor showing in state parliamentary elections in the German states of Thuringia and Saxony on Sunday.

Die Linke's Martin Schirdewan also accused the founders of the BSW of boosting the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and damaging left-wing politics in in the country.

Sahra Wagenknecht, a former leader of Die Linke and the party's best-known politician, split from Die Linke and founded the BSW earlier this year after repeatedly clashing with left-wing colleagues over her staunch anti-immigration stances and right-wing positions on social issues such as gender.

"It is clear that the right-wing split of the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance has hurt my party in particular, but also the social left," Schirdewan said during an appearance on public broadcaster ZDF.

"You have to say that BSW is a gift for the AfD, because the social left and my party in particular are suffering as a result, but the extreme right is being strengthened by BSW and its positions," he added.

Die Linke saw its results plummet on Sunday compared to the most recent elections in both states. In Thuringia, where Die Linke won in 2019 and currently lead a coalition government, projected results show support falling by half.

In Thuringia, an "essentially fascist party" - the AfD - had won a majority, Schirdewan said, something he said is extremely worrying.