One of Germany’s new political parties, the populist Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), has cleared a hurdle to participate in the European elections on June 9.

The party says it has collected 18,000 signatures from supporters with the necessary certificates from the electoral law – significantly more than the 4,000 signatures needed for new parties.

“The response is fantastic,” party leader Wagenknecht said on Monday.

“We have received far more than the required signatures in a very short space of time. This now ensures that the BSW can run in the European elections.”

The response indicates that many people want a change in policy, she added.

Wagenknecht, a former leader of the hard-left Die Linke (The Left), split from her party to form the BSW. The BSW combines left–wing social policy with an anti-immigrant stance and criticism of the European Union.

Wagenknecht founded the party at the beginning of January. The European elections are the first the party will take part in.

The party’s draft manifesto sharply criticizes the European Union and calls for a departure from the EU’s current climate policy, among other contentious points.