In their contest, Ramelow is persisting, Voigt is wrapping up, and the AfD is merely reaching midpoint.
The final significant discussion before the Thuringian state election on Sunday is taking place. On ntv and Antenne Thuringia, the leading candidates discuss critical topics such as Solingen, Ukraine, or education, with the exception of the ailing Höcke. His deputy fails to provide clarity either.
The heated election campaign in Thuringia is far from gentle. The AfD is hovering around 30%, the SPD is struggling to remain in double digits, the Greens and FDP are teetering on the edge - and an almost unknown alliance led by Sahra Wagenknecht, whose face is plastered on posters everywhere, despite being ineligible for election. The CDU, which can't stand the AfD and the Left, and doesn't want to cooperate with the Greens, is left with only one option for power: governing with the SPD and BSW. And the 1.6 million eligible voters are waiting, many with a keen interest in a topic that won't be decided in the Erfurt state parliament - the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Nikolaus Blome of ntv and Alex Küper of Antenne Thuringia have a lot to discuss with the party leaders in Weimar. Almost all of them have shown up for the final major debate before the state election: Minister President Bodo Ramelow of the Left, CDU candidate Mario Voigt, SPD Interior Minister Georg Maier, the Greens' Madeleine Henfling, and Thomas Kemmerich of the FDP. However, Björn Höcke, who unexpectedly canceled earlier that morning due to health reasons, was absent.
Blome inquired about Höcke's condition from his deputy, Stefan Möller. Möller claimed ignorance, stating he was not Höcke's doctor and had not visited him at home. He merely mentioned that Höcke had trouble sleeping the night before.
What are the repercussions of the Solingen murders?
Möller's response wasn't convincing, as Höcke had already canceled once prior, on Monday, for personal reasons. But he had another campaign event scheduled for the following Thursday. Blome pressed on, given Höcke's expected "spontaneous recovery." Möller stood firm, asserting that Höcke's reasons were genuine. Even "right-wing populists," as Möller put it, could experience health issues during a campaign. The topic was then dropped.
The actual focus of the show was the murders in Solingen, where a radicalized extremist stabbed three individuals to death. A point of contention in the case was the unsuccessful deportation of the perpetrator. Along with the 4,500 individuals in Thuringia facing deportation, Ramelow said they weren't all dangerous criminals. His Interior Minister, Georg Maier, concurred - for now, they still remained in the government, a coalition of red, red, and green.
Maier spoke of creating the legal framework for knife ban zones. Thuringia was one of the safest states in Germany. Sometimes, it may seem that only migrants commit crimes. "That's not the case," said Maier. This truth was not self-evident in Thuringia.
Möller discussed a deportation blockade in Germany. He even suggested traveling to Kabul himself to negotiate with the Taliban over returning Afghans, he claimed. The AfD would not deport doctors, nurses, or delivery drivers, but rather drug dealers, individuals who violently assault others, or "street fighters." However, problems arise when, for example, Morocco does not take back its citizens.
Mario Voigt of the CDU wanted to avoid any impression of complacency. He proposed establishing a repatriation center in Thuringia and assured 1800 police officers for the next five years. Katja Wolf of the BSW was firm on newcomers but later shifted the conversation to the positive aspects of migration: the skilled labor shortage.
Even Sausage Sellers Are Desired
The prospect in Thuringia is grim. They are not just seeking doctors, engineers, and other highly skilled professionals. Now, even sausage sellers are in demand, as Blome mentioned in Thuringia. Ramelow agreed and emphasized that in the next ten years, 300,000 workers will retire, but only 150,000 will replace them. These figures indicated that without immigration, the situation would be challenging. Even if the AfD aimed to solve the population decline issue with their procreation poster.
Thuringia is pursuing a different approach: With its own company, the state is actively recruiting apprentices from distant Vietnam. Ramelow reported that 776 had already arrived. Furthermore, Ukrainian refugees were permitted to work immediately, he stressed, without the requirement of a language course first, following the introduction of the so-called Job Turbo.
And the discussion shifted back to the AfD. Its state chapter is widely considered right-wing extremist, which is not appealing to foreign skilled workers. Jena's mayor, Thomas Nitzsche, said in an interview that it was "like a shadow over everything." Now, Green candidate Henfling claimed that the AfD was creating a climate that fostered violence. "Whoever posters 'Sun, Sun, Remigration' or 'Repatriation creates living space,' they're not trying to solve problems, but to spread hate and inflame society," she said, addressing Möller.
Henfling is firm in her opposition to Wolf, a BSW candidate, when it comes to Ukraine's situation. According to Wolf, negotiations and diplomacy should be prioritized to end the conflict. An audience member inquired about the amount of Ukrainian land Wolf would compromise in negotiations and how much Henfling would be willing to give up from Thuringia if she faced an aggressor. Henfling, a Green Party politician, advocates for peace as well, but she perceives BSW as being inclined to serve Russian President Vladimir Putin Ukraine on a silver platter. Putin's contentment with Ukraine is doubtful, a fact recognized by neighboring countries for quite some time.
The Current Tensions between CDU and BSW
Education is the main topic under discussion in Thuringia. Ramelow, the Minister-President, reveals the challenges they face, such as students learning English only twice a month and elderly women stepping in to teach biology as there is a lack of qualified teachers. Ramelow's government has recruited 7,500 teachers in ten years, but there are still 1,000 vacant positions that remain unfilled.
Voigt proposes a guarantee of employment for education students, recruitment of lateral entrants, and reduced bureaucracy. Wolf, BSW candidate, also emphasizes the need for less bureaucracy as she gained an insight into the issue having served as the mayor of Eisenach.
A potential agreement seems plausible as Voigt previously expressed his willingness to collaborate with Wolf, despite party leader Wagenknecht's interference from Berlin. However, Voigt is evasive when quizzed by Blome why CDU would coalition with the Left but not BSW. BSW is a splinter party of the Left, but there is no formal non-cooperation agreement between them. A coalition with BSW is the only option for a majority government. Wolf, known for her pragmatism, avoids repeating Wagenknecht's rigid demands regarding Ukraine, which is unacceptable for the CDU.
A minority government is the last thing anyone in Thuringia wants, even Ramelow agrees, emphasizing the difficult process of forming the government post-election on Sunday evening. Elections in Thuringia are no joke even for the bravehearted.
The Green Group was not present during the final debate due to scheduling conflicts, as their representative Madeleine Henfling is ineligible to run for office. Despite this, the topic of migration and the integration of foreign workers was brought up, with Green candidate Henfling criticizing the AfD for spreading hate and inflammatory rhetoric.
Despite the CDU's refusal to collaborate with the Greens, there are discussions about the need for a more pragmatic approach to education, with both CDU candidate Mario Voigt and BSW candidate Katja Wolf agreeing on the need for less bureaucracy and more qualified teachers. However, the current tensions between the CDU and BSW, particularly over the issue of Ukraine, continue to pose a challenge to any potential coalition government.
