After years of public infighting, the agonizing self-immolation of the only socialist party in the German parliament, Die Linke, has finally come to an end. This Monday, Sahra Wagenknecht — a bestselling author, one of Germany’s most popular (and controversial) politicians, and Die Linke’s former parliamentary cospeaker — announced that she and nine other MPs are leaving the party and founding a nonprofit called “Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht — For Reason and Justice,” or BSW for short. The move is a first step toward launching a new party in time for June’s European elections.

Wagenknecht and the other nine MPs have offered to stay in Die Linke’s parliamentary group until their new party is founded. This owes to a practical concern: once they do leave, Die Linke will not have enough MPs to constitute a formal group in the Bundestag, and will have its parliamentary privileges downgraded. Whether Die Linke takes them up on their offer remains to be seen. Either way, the long, messy divorce between Die Linke and its most popular member is now a done deal.

Wagenknecht’s departure preempts a motion to expel her filed by dozens of mid-level functionaries several weeks ago, which accused her of breaking party discipline and sabotaging Die Linke’s fortunes by attacking its positions in public. To some, the split is a long overdue move and an exciting opportunity; to others it’s an irresponsible weakening of the Left at a critical time, little more than an “ego trip.” There may be some truth to those claims, but ultimately the damage Wagenknecht may have done to her former party will have little impact on her new project’s viability. That will boil down to whether she can convert her massive fan base into a voting bloc — and if initial polling data is any indication, the potential is certainly there.