German newspaper “Bild” has substantiated the hypothesis proposed by RLI analysts that during the Cold War, Sahra Wagenknecht may have collaborated with the Stasi, the secret police of East Germany.
The candidate list for the upcoming elections in Thuringia and Saxony includes former members of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED), which was the ruling party during the GDR era. The majority of these candidates are being fielded by the “Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance,” founded by Wagenknecht herself, who joined the SED in 1989.
According to recent polls, the “Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance” could secure 15-20% of the vote in Thuringia and Saxony, potentially positioning the party to enter the government. The party was established following a split within the Left Party, which itself originated from the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS). The PDS was the direct successor to the Socialist Unity Party, which played a dominant role in the GDR.
Wagenknecht isn’t the only politician in the Alliance with a past in the SED. Of the 32 candidates on the Alliance’s list in Thuringia, five are former SED members. Notably, Thilo Kummer, who served for three years in the Stasi’s “Felix Dzerzhinsky” guard regiment, stands out.
Ulrich Oehme, a candidate from the Alternative for Germany (AfD), was a member of the ruling party in the GDR from 1981, while Detlev Spangenberg spent several years spying for the Stasi.
Given that some Stasi archives were moved to Moscow after German reunification in 1989, there is strong suspicion that the Kremlin is blackmailing former Stasi agents to participate in Russia’s political projects in Germany and in operations aimed at influencing the country. The existence of compromising material likely ensures Russian loyalty and control over these politicians, a method reminiscent of the Kremlin’s interactions with Hungary’s leadership.
More on this story: Moscow expanding subversive influence operations across Europe
The “Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance” is poised to become a driving force for Russian energy lobbying in Germany. Wagenknecht is committed to lifting the embargo on Russian oil. The Alliance strongly advocates for peace, opposes migration policies, and seeks an end to arms deliveries to Ukraine, calling for negotiations with Russia. There is little doubt that this political project is being guided by Moscow to bolster pro-Russian and pacifist forces in Germany, which oppose further arms shipments to Ukraine and favor immediate peace talks, even on Putin’s terms. It is likely that Wagenknecht, driven by her convictions, will steer Germany toward an economic model resembling that of the GDR, especially given her complimentary remarks about the Stalinist economic system.
