The creation of this party comes at a time when people are increasingly losing faith in mainstream political parties.

Sahra Wagenknecht, a well-known figure in German politics, was born in communist East Germany to a German mother and an Iranian father. She joined the ruling Socialist Unity Party in 1989, just months before the fall of the Berlin Wall. Following German reunification, she became a member of the successor party, which eventually merged into the left-wing Die Linke.

Having served in the European Parliament and the Bundestag, Wagenknecht gained prominence for her outspoken criticism of immigration, particularly after the influx of over a million people from Syria and other countries in 2015. Her strong anti-immigration positions and cultural conservatism earned her a reputation and credibility among a significant portion of the electorate, particularly in eastern Germany.

Wagenknecht's newly formed party, known as the BSW (Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht), aims to test its appeal in the upcoming European elections in July. However, the real test will come in September, with three state elections in eastern Germany likely to provide a clearer indication of the party's prospects.

According to political scientist Cas Mudde, there is a noteworthy segment of the electorate with left-wing conservative views. However, Mudde notes that these voters often prioritize their right-wing cultural views over left-wing economic interests.

Experts believe that the emergence of the BSW could pose a challenge for the far-right party AfD, which has been consistently gaining support and polling above some mainstream parties. Lecturer Sarah Wagner from Queen's University Belfast suggests that the success of Wagenknecht's project could potentially hinder the AfD's hopes of securing a first-place position in a state election.

It is worth noting that in German politics, parties strongly associated with individual figures have had a poor track record. The collapse of Ronald Schill's insurgent party in Hamburg in the early 2000s serves as a cautionary example.

As the largest economy in the European Union, Germany's political landscape appears to be further fractured with the emergence of the BSW. Voters will now have the choice between an unprecedented eight major parties in the upcoming elections.