State election campaign: Woidke sets his sights on AfD
SPD state leader Dietmar Woidke got his party in the mood for next year's state elections in Brandenburg with a combative speech. Woidke, who is also Minister President, took particular aim at the AfD at the state party conference in Schönefeld on Saturday. This party was ahead in the latest polls with figures of around 30 percent. Parts of the AfD are openly right-wing extremist, he said. "The AfD is a party that questions all our values and in some cases tramples them underfoot," said Woidke.
People need to be convinced that it is not just about who becomes the strongest force in the state parliament. "It is also about preserving our liberal and democratic values," said the SPD politician.
Woidke referred to the economic successes in Brandenburg. "If we have economic growth of 6 percent in the first half of 2023, this also means that prospects have improved," he said. These are prospects for young people in the state in particular. And they are not only available at the US electric car manufacturer Tesla, Woidke emphasized. He referred to the first 400 jobs created at the new Cottbus railroad plant as part of the Structural Strengthening Act. "This is a social democratic success story," he emphasized.
However, good working conditions are also necessary, said Woidke. "We cannot and must not live with the fact that 250,000 people in our state are paid minimum wage." This could not be the case given the country's good economic development. "We need more trade unions, not less trade unions, we need more trade unions," he demanded.
Woidke intends to stand for the SPD chairmanship again at the state party conference. The 62-year-old has been SPD state and government leader for more than ten years. Woidke has announced that he intends to fight for the office of Minister President again as the SPD's top candidate in the state elections next September. However, the elections for the state list are not until April.
Woidke highlighted the threat posed by the AfD to liberal and democratic values, stating, "The SPD must stand up against parties like the AfD, which question our fundamental values and at times trample them underfoot." Additionally, in his speech, Woidke emphasized the importance of preserving jobs and fair wages, saying, "We cannot accept that over 250,000 people in Brandenburg are paid minimum wage – this is unacceptable given our country's economic growth."
Source: www.dpa.com
