BSW, a party that merges elements of hard-left and hard-right politics — an ideology Wagenknecht has dubbed “left conservativism” — surged in national polls shortly after its creation and was particularly popular in the former East Germany, where the party won parliamentary seats in two states.
But the party lost momentum ahead of the federal snap election in February, particularly as Wagenknecht’s former party, Die Linke, or The Left, surged in polls ahead of the vote. Ultimately, BSW failed to meet the 5 percent threshold required to make it into the Bundestag, missing the mark by less that 10,000 votes.
The announcement on the leadership change comes at a time when the party is looking to move away from its reliance on Wagenknecht and build broader, grassroots support.
Current party co-leader Amira Mohamed Ali is set to remain in place, while MEP Fabio De Masi is considered a leading candidate to succeed Wagenknecht. Party leaders are also debating a new moniker so the party is no longer named after Wagenknecht.
BSW politicians continue to push for a recount of the votes from the federal election in February in an effort to still enter the German parliament. Such an outcome, however, is considered highly unlikely.
Rasmus Buchsteiner contributed to this report.