“Things can’t go on like they are now,” said Sahra Wagenknecht at the Hamburg fish market. She traveled specifically to the launch event of her new party BSW (Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht) for the European elections. Wagenknecht spoke about many topics – but it was hardly about European politics.

Bright blue sky, view of the Elbe and a singer with a guitar on stage. In front of it there were about 800 people, mostly older people, who were shaking along a bit. At first glance, the scene looks like a sleepy neighborhood festival. If it weren’t for the activists who distribute flyers calling for the release of Julien Assange or the cardboard with the inscription “Sahra Wagenknecht for Chancellor”.

Zaklin Nastic enters the stage, member of the Bundestag and ex-leftist from Hamburg. “Thank you for coming despite the good weather,” she says. And that despite the fact that these days you often get “hostility” for having a different opinion. Approval from the audience.

Nastic is supposed to build up the Hamburg regional association and obviously needs every support. According to Mopo information, the BSW only has 16 members here so far.

Nastic announces her colleagues: First Michael vonschulenburg, ex-diplomat and now in third place on the list for the European elections. His speech seems unsteady and doesn’t really warm the audience.

De Masi then takes the stage, known in Hamburg as a former left-wing member of the Bundestag. He fires up the crowd: “Many people have the knife in their pocket open because millions of taxpayers’ money are being wasted while our trains don’t run properly and our children can’t read and write properly.”

De Masi demands that politicians’ stock transactions be made public. He once again highlights his educational work in the Wirecard and Cum-Ex cases and criticizes Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s lack of memory.

This isn’t all new, but it’s getting there. “This European election is an opportunity to show the red card to the traffic lights,” says De Masi. “But not the way people in Germany do it when they sign their cross to the AfD.”

Finally, Sahra Wagenknecht’s performance was met with cheers. Many smartphones are skyrocketing, everyone has been waiting for them. Wagenknecht speaks for almost 40 minutes about incomes that are too tight (“We want to increase the minimum wage”), pensions that are too tight (“We want pensions at 63”) and arms deliveries to Ukraine (“Weapons don’t bring peace, weapons bring more war .”).

How does she plan to pay her claims? “Wherever money is needed, money is suddenly there,” says Wagenknecht. She accuses the traffic light of spending money on rearmament and arms deliveries, but not on the education of children in Germany. A comparison that provokes outrage.

She quickly realizes what the audience wants to hear: when the name of a government politician is mentioned, people boo and clap when they demand more money for pensioners, the poor, the sick and peace. This evening is hardly about Europe.

Among the participants in front of the stage are many ex-leftists from Hamburg and the Neue Deutsche Welle star Joachim Witt (“Golden Rider”), who is not singing that evening.

The biggest pop star here is Wagenknecht anyway. After her speech and the request to stand up for the BSW, the crowd disperses, many want to get a photo. It will be seen on June 9th whether the hype surrounding Wagenknecht will ultimately support the alliance.

By Ann-Christin Busch

The AfD politician Björn Höcke was sentenced to a fine of €13,000 by the Halle regional court for using a banned Nazi slogan. Political expert Jürgen W. Falter doubts whether the verdict actually has the effect expected and desired by many.

“Steamroller”, “full post”, “train station alcoholic”: Such insults and insults are increasingly going too far for Green politicians like Annalena Baerbock and Robert Habeck. There is a hail of green criminal charges – with moderate success.

The original for this article “Sahra Wagenknecht simply leaves out a topic during a big appearance in Hamburg” comes from Mopo.