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Sahra Wagenknecht, who grew up in East Germany as the daughter
of a German mother and an absent Iranian father, told reporters
on Monday she would aim to win over disgruntled voters of left
and right.
"Many no longer know who to vote for or vote for the right out
of rage and despair," she said. "It can't go on like this.
Otherwise we probably won't recognise our own country in ten
years' time."
With Germany's economy battered by high energy prices and
inflation, low support for the parties of Chancellor Olaf
Scholz's centre-left coalition is undermining the conservative
Christian Democrats, creating opportunities for populists.
"At a time of crisis.... Left legislators should concentrate on
doing their job," said Left party leader Janine Wissler. "And
that is left-wing opposition and not the ego trip of founding a
new party."
That fragmentation has let the far-right Alternative for Germany
(AfD) party come second in several recent elections - drawing on
a pool of voters the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance could also tap.
"I was described as close to Putin or pro-Russian for wanting a
negotiated solution in Ukraine," she said. "It's your legitimate
right not to like us or not share our positions. But ... don't
take the cheap route of ascribing to us things we don't
represent."
Wagenknecht has called for tighter restrictions on immigration,
and opposes sending arms to Ukraine and called for a negotiated
solution to Russia's invasion of the country.
A Civey poll for T-Online found some 20% of voters could imagine
voting for her new party. The AfD is around 20% in most polls,
behind the conservatives on around 30%. The three government
parties are on a combined 30-35%.
(Reporting by Thomas Escritt; editing by Barbara Lewis)
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