The Linke, which has its roots in both East German communism and the West German labor movement, has long been riven by strife and the defection of Wagenknecht‘s team could eventually sound its death knell.

But political analysts focused primarily on BSW‘s potential threat to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which has surged in strength on migration fears and is polling at around 22 percent, ahead of all three parties in Chancellor Olaf Scholz‘s ruling coalition.