BSW before realignment: resignation and demands shake the party

BSW before realignment: resignation and demands shake the party

A lot has happened within the Alliance for Social Justice and Economic Reason (BSW) in the last few weeks. Today, November 7th, 2025, there are fresh developments surrounding the name change, which will be voted on at the upcoming federal party conference in December. The federal executive board is planning the new name “Alliance of Social Justice and Economic Reason”, which promises a greater emphasis on economic aspects. The question here is whether this focus meets with approval or skepticism among members. Many are concerned that the BSW is heading towards a course like that of the FDP, which calls into question the goal of social justice. These concerns arose particularly after the resignation of Oliver Jeschonnek, the Hessian BSW state chairman, who has spoken out against a “Left 2.0” and who is critical of such developments.

The tensions within the party are obvious. Jeschonnek, who is the managing director of a consulting company and has no history in the Left Party, sees the party's course being undermined by critical contributions. With him, Ali Al-Dailami is the only remaining BSW state chief in Hesse, and the search for a clear political direction is noticeably tense. In contrast, Fabio De Masi, the BSW MEP and potential successor to Sahra Wagenknecht, sees no contradiction between the interests of entrepreneurs and social justice, which further fuels the discussion. Oliver Skopec, entrepreneur and BSW state parliament member in Brandenburg, also passionately promotes issues such as inheritance taxation and the minimum wage.

Concerns about social orientation

Critics fear that the BSW focuses too much on the interests of entrepreneurs and thus neglects the concerns of dependent employees and social justice. In the worst case, this could turn the BSW into a kind of “FDP 2.0”, which is likely to meet with massive resistance from members. A full-page advertisement in the Handelsblatt promoting the BSW's economic positions has reinforced these concerns. Thomas Geisel, former SPD mayor, recently failed in his election to the NRW state executive committee, while Andrej Hunko, a former member of the Left Party, was elected as the new NRW state leader, which represents an internal change and shows that dialogue between the different currents within the party is urgently needed.

A new “ZBWI business talk”, in which prominent members take part, is intended to promote exchange between BSW and entrepreneurs in order to bridge the supposed divides. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen how a request for a recount of the federal election could influence the conflict between the left-wing opponents of capitalism and entrepreneurs within the BSW. The political landscape remains tense, and the coming weeks promise further exciting – and potentially turbulent – ​​developments.

In this context, one can hardly avoid taking a closer look at the term “social”. It originally comes from the French “social” and the Latin “socialis” and is often used synonymously with “social”. With a focus on social justice, the BSW could find itself in a race to interpret social responsibility. Conceptually, “social” is often associated with helpfulness and a close understanding of community, which in turn raises the question of how the BSW should position itself in the next few months and what strategies should be pursued with regard to social issues. The upcoming events and decisions will largely determine the direction in which the party will develop.