Two BSW lawmakers withdraw support from Thuringia coalition, leaving Mario Voigt without parliamentary tie

Defection breaks parliament tie

Thuringia's governing alliance between the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Social Democratic Party (SPD), and the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) lost its parliamentary parity on Monday. Lawmakers Anke Wirsing and Sven Küntzel announced in a joint declaration that they would no longer support CDU Minister-President Mario Voigt, asserting that he now presides over a minority administration. The coalition, established in 2024 as the only such arrangement in Germany, had held exactly 44 seats in the 88-member Erfurt Landtag. It previously relied on indirect backing from Die Linke to pass legislation, having explicitly ruled out cooperation with the Alternative for Germany (AfD), the largest opposition group. With the two defections, the government's direct voting strength fell to 42 seats.

Parliamentary faction votes to remain

The breakaway followed a meeting of the Thuringian BSW parliamentary group in Erfurt earlier on Monday. Thirteen of the 15 BSW state lawmakers attended the session and voted unanimously to stay in the coalition cabinet alongside the CDU and SPD. Parliamentary group leader Sigrid Hupach announced after the meeting that the faction resolved to continue its government work to preserve political stability and social cohesion.

The BSW faction, after intensive consultation, made the unanimous decision to remain in government policy.

Wirsing and Küntzel boycotted the Erfurt meeting and released their own declaration hours later. They argued that a decision of such political consequence should not have been added verbally to the morning agenda without proper notice. Wirsing, who also serves on the BSW federal executive board, noted that she had already supported breaking with the coalition during federal board deliberations.

Federal pressure over doctoral controversy

The dispute within the BSW escalated following a demand from the party's federal executive in Berlin, led by founder Sahra Wagenknecht and executive board member Fabio De Masi. The federal leadership urged Thuringian lawmakers to withdraw from the coalition after Chemnitz University of Technology rejected Voigt's appeal and confirmed the revocation of his doctoral title following plagiarism allegations. Voigt has initiated legal action against the university's decision. Speaking on ZDF-Morgenmagazin on Monday morning, De Masi stated that entering the state government had contradicted the wishes of the federal executive. Wagenknecht reiterated calls for Voigt to resign, arguing that Thuringia should instead be led by a non-partisan figure governing with variable majorities.

Thuringia needs a credible non-partisan head of government who ends the firewall and governs with shifting majorities. Large parts of the Thuringian BSW see it that way too.

State leaders defend government role

Thuringian BSW state chair and regional Finance Minister Katja Wolf rejected the intervention from Berlin, emphasizing that the party was founded to effect change through governmental responsibility. Wolf criticized the national leadership for issuing directives without prior consultation, while co-state chair Gernot Süßmuth stated that the Thuringian branch would not serve as an instrument for outside political campaigns. Both state leaders, alongside Wirsing and Küntzel, confirmed their openness to holding an extraordinary state party conference, an initiative already requested by four BSW district chapters to determine the party's future course.

I personally find the variant of a special party conference in the current situation not at all threatening and not at all bad. The discussion is also needed with the base.