- Northern political factions aim to influence election outcomes.
For Dan Günther, Minister President of Schleswig-Holstein, the only hope for democratic victories in Saxony and Thuringia's elections lies with the CDU. "The CDU is undeniably the strongest democratic force in both Saxony and Thuringia," he stated after the initial reflections of the state vote results.
He further underscored the enormous task now before Michael Kretschmer and Mario Voigt, as the CDU leaders: "Given the staggering support for the AfD and the BSW, forming functional governments in this challenging environment is their major hurdle." The SPD and the Greens have managed weak results in both Saxony and Thuringia, while the FDP is no longer a player.
Anke Erdmann, Green Party chairman in the north, supports a coalition past the AfD in the face of these hard times: "Difficult days and weeks are ahead for Saxony and Thuringia," she warned. The election night reveals that populism and right-wing extremism are becoming more and more acceptable.
Wake-up call for democratic forces
Serpil Midyatli, chairwoman of the SPD parliamentary group in the northernmost federal state, interprets the substantial support for the AfD in both states as a shocking call to action for all democratic forces. "Neither us nor the Union has been successful in sparking change in popular sentiment," Midyatli stated emphatically. "It's counterproductive if the CDU simply deflects blame towards us during their voter demobilization attempts in the past few weeks."
A disappointing result for the FDP
Oliver Kumbartzky, leader of Schleswig-Holstein's FDP, described his party's showing in the Saxony and Thuringia elections as "disappointing but not unpredictable." "Both in Thuringia and Saxony, the Free Democrats have historically struggled," he said. The meteoric rise of populist and extreme parties such as the BSW and AfD leaves a bitter aftertaste.
"Telling it like it is in Schleswig-Holstein without offering viable solutions is of little use," Kumbartzky added. In his perspective, all democratic parties must work diligently to address the concerns of the people.
The SPD, despite facing weak results in both Saxony and Thuringia's elections, remains a significant force in German politics. In light of the challenging environment, Serpil Midyatli, chairwoman of the SPD parliamentary group in Schleswig-Holstein, views the substantial support for the AfD as a wake-up call to action for all democratic forces.
