The top candidate from the populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance ( BSW ) in the German state of Thuringia , Katja Wolf , has hailed the upstart party ' s projected third - place finish in state parliamentary elections as an " absolutely historic result ." " I have goose bumps to experience this moment ," Wolf said shortly after initial exit polls released after voting ended at 6 pm ( 1600 GMT ) suggested that the BSW would claim about 14 . 5 % to 16 . 0 % of the vote in Thuringia . Wolf and the BSW have campaigned on a mixture of right - wing anti - immigration messages , traditional left - wing economic policies and staunch opposition to Germany ' s support for Ukraine . The party was founded earlier this year by Sahra Wagenknecht , a long - time icon of the German left , after a bitter split from her former party , the hard - left Die Linke ( The Left ). Wagenknecht has described her politics as " left - conservative ." dpa uk jed xxde bst eraSource: The Namibia News Agency