As of: February 15, 2024, 12:20 p.m
By: Jens Kiffmeier
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Rough sayings: Sahra Wagenknecht celebrates her premiere at Political Ash Wednesday.
But unlike the Söder CSU, the AfD is not very aggressive.
Political Ash Wednesday 2024
: Sahra Wagenknecht's party celebrates its premiere
Traffic light in criticism:
Party founder makes sharp attacks on the Greens
Unlike Söder
: The AfD comes off quite mildly with the BSW
This news ticker reported live on what was happening.
Update from February 14th, 4:58 p.m.:
Lots of Green bashing, hardly any attacks against Söder-CSU or AfD:
At her premiere at Political Ash Wednesday, party founder Sahra Wagenknecht sharply attacked the federal government because of its spending on armaments and arms aid for Ukraine.
Wagenknecht said in Passau that she had already described the traffic light coalition as the stupidest government in Europe.
But she had to add: “We also have the most dangerous government in Europe, and that too is something that cannot continue like this.”
The “manslaughter argument” will be used if no further arms are upgraded and no more weapons are delivered to Ukraine, then “the Russians are at the door,” said the former left-wing politician, who founded the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) at the beginning of January .
This is probably a primal fear of the Germans.
“I wonder, how stupid do they think we are?”
Wagenknecht at Political Ash Wednesday 2024: BSW is working on the Greens
For Wagenknecht it was the first appearance at the Political Ash Wednesday since she founded her party.
While there was a lot of speculation in advance about whether the politician, known as a cool speaker, also mastered the beer tent style, Wagenknecht put her critics in their place.
“The BSW can also do Ash Wednesday,” she called into the hall.
Her party will prove this - at the latest in the European election campaign, which Wagenknecht wants to focus entirely on the topic of pensions, as she revealed to the
Augsburger Allgemeine
following the meeting near Passau.
Celebrates its premiere at Political Ash Wednesday 2024 with a new party: Sahra Wagenknecht.
© Sven Hoppe/Kay Nietfeld/dpa/Montage
Greens in sight: Söder is making an all-round attack in Passau - as is Wagenknecht
Traditionally, all parties engage in tough debates on Political Ash Wednesday in Bavaria.
While Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) also attacked the traffic lights in Passau, the Greens had to cancel their event for security reasons.
Hundreds of farmers protested in front of the meeting place.
And so the Greens were unable to directly parry the harsh attacks from the CSU and the Wagenknecht party.
While Söder launched into an extremely controversial comparison between Environment Minister Steffi Lemke and Margot Honecker, Wagenknecht accused the Greens around Anton Hofreiter of warmongering.
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Söder rumbles, Wagenknecht is in a rather mild mood: AfD divides opinion on Ash Wednesday
Wagenknecht dealt with the AfD in a strangely harmless manner.
The right-wing populists also met for Political Ash Wednesday and had their European election candidate Maximilian Krah appear.
The politician is considered far right.
This offered enough attack surface for Bavaria's Prime Minister Söder.
According to the dpa
news agency, he described
the AfD as Moscow's "fifth column" because of its supportive stance towards Russia. He recommended that AfD politician Björn Höcke leave the country and wished him a "good trip to Moscow."
The right-wing populists hit back, sometimes reacting with insulting statements against politicians from other parties and anti-right-wing demonstrators.
AfD state leader Stephan Protschka denounced them across the board as “fascists”.
AfD representatives also used seriously offensive language against representatives of the Catholic Church.
And Wagenknecht?
She was only content with blaming the traffic lights for the rise of the AfD.
Everything about the Wagenknecht appearance can be read again below:
Social imbalance: Wagenknecht blames traffic light parties for the AfD's high in the polls
Update from February 14th, 12:06 p.m.:
After her frontal attacks on the Greens, Sahra Wagenknecht complains about the overall social imbalance in Germany.
This is what led to the AfD becoming so strong.
“But instead of demonstrating against the right across the board, you have to clearly identify the problems.
We have to demonstrate for better wages and for peace,” she called on her party.
That's what we stood for and that will be shown in the upcoming European election campaign.
It is the only time that the party founder said anything to the right-wing populists in her almost hour-long speech.
The main opponents were the Greens.
With this she ends her appearance at the Political Ash Wednesday 2024.
Update from February 14th, 11:55 a.m
.: While the Greens in Biberach have to cancel their political Ash Wednesday due to farmers' protests, Wagenknecht continues to attack near Passau.
She accuses the traffic light of taking the wrong course in energy policy.
Because of the reduction in gas imports from Russia, energy prices are skyrocketing and state subsidies are increasing at the same time.
“You have to get it done first,” says Wagenknecht.
Political Ash Wednesday 2024: Wagenknecht rails against the Greens' warmongering
Update from February 14th, 11:36 a.m
.: Peace instead of war: In her speech at the Political Ash Wednesday, Sahra Wagenknecht called for a policy of détente.
Germany was once celebrated for its restraint in its foreign policy.
“We have to go back there,” she said and repeatedly rejected new arms deliveries to Ukraine.
The war was “criminal,” she said.
But constant supplies of tanks and rocket launchers won't solve the problem.
“Maybe we should form a battalion of honor with the politicians who only call for weapons,” she shouted.
“Then we can send politicians like Hofreiter and Kiesewetter to the crisis regions of the world.”
Update from February 14th, 11:20 a.m
.: Appearance of Sahra Wagenknecht with attacks on the Greens: The chairwoman is getting started right away on Political Ash Wednesday 2024 - with a swipe at the gender debate.
She reveals that she is staying in the “Wilden Mann” hotel.
This is already a political issue, that it goes through without gender asterisks.
Unfortunately, the traffic lights are also characterized by “wild men”.
She specifically mentions the Green Party politician Toni Hofreiter, who has become a major advocate of additional arms deliveries to Ukraine in recent months.
“I don’t know where the former conscientious objectors get all their military knowledge from,” says Wagenknecht, accusing the Greens of “hypocrisy” because they accept donations from the arms industry and approve arms exports to Saudi Arabia.
Update from February 14th, 11:06 a.m.:
The party members take a short break with a brass band.
Then comes the appearance of chairwoman Sahra Wagenknecht.
Alliance for Sahra Wagenknecht on Ash Wednesday: Ernst attacks traffic lights because of Russia sanctions
Update from February 14th, 10:55 a.m
.: More Russian gas for Germany - with this demand, Klaus Ernst (BSW) is continuing his attacks on the traffic lights.
The Bundestag member complains that the sanctions against Putin turned out to be a misjudgment.
While Russia's economy continues to show growth rates, German companies are suffering from high energy prices.
“We really have the stupidest government,” complained Ernst.
Update from February 14th, 10:39 a.m
.: BSW Bundestag member Klaus Ernst is allowed to take the podium as the second speaker - and he gradually talks himself into a rage.
He accuses the ruling traffic light parties of being far removed from reality when it comes to social policy.
In German hospitals there is a lack of staff who can “cover patients up again if the blanket has fallen off the bed,” complains Ernst.
This is not the fault of the nurses, but rather a system error.
“Unfortunately, the traffic light parties no longer know what’s going on,” says Ernst, who attests that his party has bright future prospects.
Political Ash Wednesday at BSW: Ilsanker speaks in front of Wagenknecht
Update from February 14th, 10:28 a.m.:
The first speaker at the BSW is Josef Ilsanker.
The city council of Schalding cannot resist its first criticism of the CSU.
Since not all guests can watch Sahra Wagenknecht's performance live in the hall, Ilsanker wants to challenge Söder's party for the large city hall in nearby Passau next year.
Update from February 14th, 10:14 a.m
.: Political Ash Wednesday begins.
While the CSU has invited people to a mass event in Passau, things are more relaxed at the Wagenknecht party.
Around 180 guests are waiting for their chairwoman.
However, political scientist Heinrich Oberreuter does not expect a “speech à la Strauss, Stoiber or Söder”.
“There are 4,000 people sitting around at the CSU, but there will be significantly fewer at the BSW,” said the
FAZ
expert , adding: “That’s why the type of speech can be completely different than when Wagenknecht pack a beer tent or a giant hall with it would have to.
She can appear more measured.”
Political Ash Wednesday: AFD and CSU in Wagenknecht's sights
First report
: Passau – For the CSU it is the “largest get-together in the world”: The traditional Ash Wednesday is considered the high mass of political debate in Bavaria.
No one knows how to give the opponent a good blow over the smell of wheat beer and brass music better than Prime Minister Markus Söder.
But can Sahra Wagenknecht do that too?
The party founder is better known as a cool, distant theorist.
But this Wednesday (February 14th), the former left-wing politician wants to conquer the beer tents for her part - and launch an attack with attacks on the CSU, the traffic lights and the AfD.
Crude sayings against the AfD and CSU: Political Ash Wednesday 2024 will be premiered by Wagenknecht
Sahra Wagenknecht is particularly watched.
The head of the newly founded Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) party appears at the Öller inn in Schalding near Passau.
It is the premiere after the party was founded - and the interest is correspondingly high.
As
Spiegel
reports, the 180 tickets for the hall were quickly sold and tents were said to have been set up in front of the door for public viewing.
In previous years, Wagenknecht, as a top functionary of the Left Party, was a guest speaker at Ash Wednesday.
Wagenknecht, who is experiencing an initial surge in the polls, does not only want to use her appearance to compete with her former party, which is also present in the small town of Tiefenbach with, among others, Thuringia's Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow and party leader Janine Wissler.
The actual top dogs, especially the CSU and the Free Voters, are also likely to have Wagenknecht's performance in mind.
Likewise the AfD, from whom Wagenknecht wants to steal voters.
Political Ash Wednesday: Markus Söder gets on stage in Passau
The CSU traditionally meets in Passau with Söder as the keynote speaker.
The Free Voters around Hubert Aiwanger are guests in Deggendorf.
The SPD with Lars Klingbeil has announced its presence in Vilshofen on the Danube.
Party leader Omid Nouripour is coming to Landshut, among others, and the FDP is expecting its top European candidate Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann in the Dingolfing town hall.
AfD lets right-wing European election candidate Maximilian Krah appear
The expectation of many visitors is clear: the action should be as vigorous as possible - and dealt harshly against the political opponent.
The legal aftermath of speeches at the AfD event last year shows how quickly boundaries are forgotten in critical but mostly respectful interactions with one another.
Afterwards, Söder reported Bavaria's AfD leader Stephan Protschka for insulting him.
The Deggendorf district court issued a penalty order for a fine of 60 daily rates, which Protschka appealed.
The process could therefore start in March.
Political Ash Wednesday on TV
All parties have invited people to the Political Ash Wednesday 2024 at different locations.
Because of the abundance of events, there are numerous opportunities to be there live.
Whether AfD, Wagenknecht Party, CSU, SPD, Greens or FDP – all parties stream the various events via their websites and YouTube channels.
In some cases, the news channels from ARD, ZDF, Phoenix or n-tv are also on site.
It starts at 10 a.m.
But that is unlikely to lead to even one AfD Ash Wednesday speaker in Osterhofen striking a different tone this year.
With Maximilian Krah, an extremely controversial person has announced his presence.
The top candidate for the European elections is counted as part of the officially dissolved ethnic-nationalist “wing” of the party and, even in the AfD, his positions are far to the right, as the
Süddeutsche Zeitung
reported.