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Haseloff: The AfD does not have the better people

The AfD has recently seen high approval ratings in the east. Minister President Haseloff says that many people are concerned about the economic situation - and believes that politicians need to solve current problems.

Reiner Haseloff (CDU), Minister President of Saxony-Anhalt, during a press conference. Photo.aussiedlerbote.de
Reiner Haseloff (CDU), Minister President of Saxony-Anhalt, during a press conference. Photo.aussiedlerbote.de

Society - Haseloff: The AfD does not have the better people

Saxony-Anhalt's Minister President Reiner Haseloff believes that the economic situation is a major concern for many people in the east. "Surveys speak a clear language. People are asking themselves: Is my livelihood really still secure or could it pull the rug out from under my feet once again?" the CDU politician told the German Press Agency, referring to the biographies of many people after the end of the GDR.

"Some had to start over five times, experienced redundancies and bankruptcies. Because there is uncertainty about these issues again today, radical parties are currently enjoying such popularity," said Haseloff. "People are simply very worried, they've been through these holes before. That has a lasting effect."

According to over 84% of SMEs, the economic situation in Germany has deteriorated or even worsened considerably over the past twelve months. In a recently published survey by the German Association of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, around 43% of SMEs surveyed also stated that the situation of their own company had deteriorated. Around 40 percent also expect this to be the case in 2024.

Haseloff believes it is up to politicians to ensure lower energy prices and progress in integration. "The AfD doesn't have the better people, they are simply attracting the whole mood. In the coming months, we still have it in our hands to make it clear that we are offering solutions. We need clarity on the economic situation and migration."

The Minister President is in favor of refugees finding work in Germany more quickly. "The fact is: There are also refugees in Poland and Hungary, but social assistance is lower there and people have to work more quickly," said Haseloff. "Here, the focus is more on passive subsistence. People who come to us should also find work more quickly. It is unacceptable that, for example, people under the age of 25 and those able to work are financed by 50 and 60-year-olds who work just above the minimum wage through their taxes and social security contributions. That is a question of justice."

Haseloff has been head of government since 2011 and is now the longest-serving minister president in Germany. "As a politician, you've never experienced everything. There can always be setbacks due to global influences or natural disasters that cannot be influenced," he says. "Two floods, the refugee challenges, the coronavirus pandemic, the war in Ukraine - you have to constantly react so as not to jeopardize what you've achieved."

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Source: www.stern.de

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