Shortly after her election, she gained widespread attention when it was claimed by a TV program that she had called for the return of the Stasi and justified the construction of the Berlin Wall, also voicing her support for Margot Honecker.

[6] The DKP politician also declared that a reason for the construction of the Berlin Wall was to keep West Germans out of the GDR, "both to prevent them from hurting the economy by buying goods cheaply and also to keep out forces one didn't want there.

[4] In her statement she declared that "It really is clear that I'm not out to restart the Stasi, to rebuild the Berlin Wall or to take away the homes of the citizens of Lower Saxony."

[3] The controversy led to calls from central figures in Die Linke to end any cooperation with the German Communist Party.

Both Die Linke and the DKP are under surveillance by the Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz due to alleged leftwing extremist tendencies.