Mario Voigt is expected to step down and the "blackberry coalition" to collapse: The BSW’s national leadership is significantly toughening its tone regarding Thuringia. The party executive is citing the revocation of the Minister-President’s doctoral degree as the reason.
The revocation of Thuringia’s Minister-President Mario Voigt’s (CDU) doctoral title could turn into a battle for power. The BSW’s national leadership has called on Voigt to resign immediately. At the same time, the party executive urged its own state branch in Thuringia to withdraw support for Voigt, according to a resolution by the Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) executive board seen by the news agency dpa. According to the party, the resolution was passed unanimously, with one abstention.
Party founder Sahra Wagenknecht and the national leadership have long been at odds with the BSW’s Thuringia state branch. The latter is governing as part of the so-called "blackberry coalition" with the CDU and SPD—an arrangement the national leadership dislikes. Now, the conflict appears to be escalating.
The demand for Voigt’s resignation, outlined in the executive board’s resolution, stems from the fact that Chemnitz University of Technology revoked the CDU politician’s doctoral title. He is accused of academic misconduct. Voigt’s objection to the decision was rejected. The Minister-President has since filed a lawsuit challenging the revocation of his doctorate. The Administrative Court of Chemnitz confirmed to dpa that the lawsuit was received on Friday; no date has yet been set for a hearing.
BSW parliamentary group to discuss resolution
A resolution by the BSW’s national leadership states: "There must be no double standards in politics." The resolution criticizes Mario Voigt for "refusing to step down, thereby severely damaging the office of Minister-President and public trust in politics."
Addressing its own ranks in Thuringia, the resolution declares: "The BSW must not allow itself to serve as a source of a parliamentary majority for a man who places his personal interests above the well-being of the state. We therefore expect the BSW parliamentary group in the Thuringian state legislature to withdraw its support for Mario Voigt and to back the path toward a non-partisan Minister-President who governs with shifting majorities—a model that should be adopted in Thuringia as well."
Katja Wolf, the Thuringia leader of the BSW, emphasized the trusting cooperation with Mario Voigt. Meanwhile, Stefan Wogawa, the parliamentary group manager for the BSW in the Thuringian state parliament, announced that the group intends to discuss the federal executive board's directive on Monday. "For me personally as a member of parliament, this directive is moot," Wogawa said. He noted that this was his personal stance and that the parliamentary group had not yet coordinated on the matter. He stressed that, as a member of parliament, he was not bound by this instruction from the party executive board.
Höcke with an idea – Wagenknecht with a counter-offer
The demand comes at a critical moment. Two days earlier, Björn Höcke—the Thuringia state leader of the AfD and a right-wing extremist—had called on Wagenknecht to seek election as minister-president in the Erfurt state parliament. The BSW founder rejected this proposal. "The office of Thuringia’s minister-president is not a floating trophy that Mr. Höcke can award at will," Wagenknecht told the news agency dpa.
However, Wagenknecht had a counter-offer ready. "Not least to discuss the differences and commonalities between the BSW and the AfD, the BSW leadership had offered Ms. Weidel a public debate with me—an offer she declined, to our regret," Wagenknecht told Der Spiegel. "I call upon Mr. Höcke to take on this debate with me instead of Alice Weidel," she proposed.
Translated by Google Translate, mistakes are my own.
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