Parties - AfD builds on climate-damaging brown coal - campaign start
The AfD intends to retain a climate-damaging coal power supply in Saxony. To achieve this, existing power plants are to remain on the grid beyond 2038, and open-pit mines in the Leipzig and Lusatia regions are to continue operation, according to the recently published party program for the September state election. The party is also hinting at the construction of nuclear power plants in Saxony, while the construction of wind and solar power plants is to be more heavily regulated.
Burning Brown Coal is considered the main contributor to climate-damaging CO2 in Saxony. According to the State Office for the Environment, Agriculture and Geology, the coal-fired power plants Boxberg and Lippendorf accounted for more than half of the CO2 emissions last time.
The AfD passed its election program at a party conference in Glauchau in May but initially kept the complete text secret. In the 108-page program, the party promises its voters, among other things, a baby welcome grant of 5,000 Euro. However, this would only be for German parents who have lived in Saxony for at least ten years and have completed their education or are employed.
The proportion of non-German children in kindergartens is to be limited, and asylum seekers are to be housed in central "Transfer Centers" under the supervision of the Interior Ministry. The term "Remigration" is also mentioned in the program. When right-wing extremists use this term, they usually mean that a large number of people of foreign origin should leave the country – even under compulsion.
Furthermore, the party advocates stricter sanctions for welfare recipients and the abolition and re-establishment of the Constitutional Protection Agency. The agency has classified the party as a securely right-wing extremist tendency. The AfD denies this and is taking legal action against it.
The Saxony AfD plans to launch its state election campaign in Dresden on Saturday. The controversial European Parliament member Maximilian Krah is also involved in this.
The AfD's campaign for the upcoming State election in Saxony includes plans to prolong the operation of coal power plants, despite concerns about climate damage. The party suggests maintaining open-pit mines in Leipzig and Lusatia regions beyond 2038 and even considers building nuclear power plants in the region, while imposing stricter regulations on wind and solar power plant construction.
Burning brown coal is identified as the primary source of climate-damaging CO2 emissions in Saxony, with the plants in Boxberg and Lippendorf accounting for over half of the emissions.
The AfD's election program, unveiled after a conference in Glauchau, includes a baby welcome grant of 5,000 Euro for German parents who have lived in Saxony for ten years and have completed their education or are employed.
The AfD's program also proposes limiting the proportion of non-German children in kindergartens, housing asylum seekers in central centers, and stricter sanctions for welfare recipients. Controversially, the term "Remigration" is mentioned, often used by right-wing extremists to suggest forced removal of people of foreign origin.
The AfD aims to launch its state election campaign in Dresden this Saturday, with European Parliament member Maximilian Krah involved in the proceedings.
The party's stance on brown coal, climate change, and immigration have been met with controversy and criticism, making the upcoming election an important test of its popularity in Saxony.
