Sahra Wagenknecht has renewed her challenge to Björn Höcke for a live public debate with a neutral moderator, saying the Thuringia AfD leader never responded to her earlier invitation and proposing they discuss the idea of a cross-party, independent candidate for minister-president. The development comes after Höcke publicly offered to back her for the premiership in Thuringia.
Wagenknecht, whose Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance currently governs in Thuringia under Minister-President Mario Voigt, rejected Höcke's offer to elect her with AfD votes. She also noted that Alice Weidel declined a separate public duel with her.
Wagenknecht instead reiterated an offer to replace CDU Minister-President Sven Schulze in Saxony-Anhalt, where the AfD polls above 40 percent and her BSW fights for survival at 4 to 5 percent ahead of the September 6 election.