Katja Wolf and Thuringian ex-BSW politicians launch new Thüringen.Gerecht party

Formation of Thüringen.Gerecht

Former members of the Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) in Thuringia established a new political party named Thüringen.Gerecht on 6 September 2026. Founding participants gathered in Erfurt and elected Thuringia's Deputy Minister-President and Finance Minister Katja Wolf to serve as party chairwoman. Infrastructure Minister Steffen Schütz, who previously held the role of BSW state co-chair in Thuringia, was elected as one of Wolf's deputies in the new organization. The assembly convened two days after Wolf, Schütz, and several state colleagues formally resigned from the BSW on 4 September 2026. The decision to hold the founding assembly on Sunday came as an unexpected step even to members of the former leadership team, who sought to establish swift legal certainty.

Schütz explained to the Deutsche Presse-Agentur that the rapid organization was necessary to safeguard executive operations.

We do not want to put our ability to work at risk.

Coalition stability and Landtag caucus status

The formation of the party directly addresses the legal standing of the state government that has led Thuringia since late 2024. The administration, headed by Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Minister-President Mario Voigt, is Germany's only coalition uniting the CDU, the BSW, and the Social Democratic Party (SPD). The internal collapse of the regional BSW introduced legal questions regarding the status of its parliamentary group in the Erfurter Landtag, which serves as one of the three partners in the coalition agreement. Following Friday's wave of resignations, only two of the twelve deputies in the Landtag caucus continue to hold membership in the BSW.

Wolf released an official statement on Sunday evening outlining the objectives of the newly established political movement.

We have promised to ensure stability and reliability in Thuringia. Now we invite all people to put this promise into practice together with us.

Dispute with the federal BSW leadership

The political separation followed an escalating confrontation between Thuringian state representatives and the BSW federal leadership led by founder Sahra Wagenknecht over regional government participation. The group aligned with Wolf accused the federal executive of improper interference in state governance and criticized what they described as a lack of distance toward Alternative for Germany (AfD). In response, the founding assembly in Erfurt formally adopted its initial party program under the title "Wir werden Thüringen.Gerecht". The program document specifies that the party focuses on policies that listen to citizens, acknowledge personal life achievements, and provide security, respect, and renewed confidence.

Mario Voigt addressed the development through the Thuringian State Chancellery on Sunday.

The founding of Thüringen.Gerecht creates clarity and orderly conditions.

Accelerated timeline and next administrative steps

Wolf had explained earlier over the weekend that the group needed to establish a formal party as quickly as possible, projecting that statutory deadlines would normally place the founding in October 2026. The leadership accelerated the process to Sunday to resolve the ambiguous legal status facing the parliamentary caucus and its governing role. The newly appointed executive board announced plans to begin admitting members without delay and to organize an official party congress. All three coalition partners (the CDU, the SPD, and Wolf's group) reaffirmed their governing compact in Erfurt, with formal clarity regarding the Landtag parliamentary caucus expected on Monday.