Is Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht A New Alternative for Populist Voters?

Abstract In just five months, Bündnis Sarah Wagenknecht ( BSW ) progressed from its foundation to winning six seats in the European Parliament. Research has indicated that the party has significant potential, particularly among voters of Germany’s two populist parties: Alternative for Germany (AfD) and Die Linke. Since BSW is also classified as a populist party, this article explores the extent to which populist attitudes influence the vote choice preference for BSW . The analysis employs a three-dimensional populism scale, using data from a VAA -like website. The results reveal that voters intending to vote for BSW exhibit strong anti-elitist and people-centric views, but do not hold Manichean outlooks. This positions BSW voters ideologically between Die Linke and AfD voters in terms of populist ideation – albeit closer to the AfD, reflecting the party-level populism of BSW . Additionally, populist attitudes, particularly anti-elitism, are significant predictors of vote-switching from other parties to BSW .