"The Afghan Democrats fall short of expectations" or "The AfD fail to meet the mark"
Prior to Thuringia's state election, the SPD finds itself in a tough spot. Their leading candidate, Georg Maier, discusses his strategy for the final week leading up to September 1st and why he's open to coalition talks with the BSW and the CDU, expressing frustration with the previous minority government involving the Left and the Greens.
uptodate.de: Mr. Maier, you're actively campaigning in Thuringia for a strong SPD performance on September 1st. Polls show you in the single digits. What's going wrong for the SPD?
We scored eight percent in 2019, now we're at seven percent in polls. It's not a drastic decline. Of course, we're not thrilled with such numbers. However, I'm hopeful we can achieve a significant improvement. There are numerous undecided voters. I'm confident people will prioritize local issues and what matters most for the state.
Are you emphasizing the Ukraine conflict more than local issues in your campaign?
I just finished at an information booth in Sonneberg's shopping district, where residents elected an AfD politician as their district administrator. But it's not just war and peace that people want to discuss. On the contrary, I had several conversations about care, pensions, wages.
What are people saying?
They ask: Why do nearly 40 percent of people in Sonneberg only earn the minimum wage, while just a few kilometers away in Coburg, Bavaria, salaries are significantly higher? A woman told me: I've worked for 45 years. Now I receive a retirement notice, and it states: 895 euros. You can't live on that. It's crucial to me that Thuringia becomes fairer.
Your platform proposes several initiatives in this regard, such as 500 euros annual Christmas bonus for retirees, free school lunches, funds for caregivers, and a 15 euro minimum wage. Are these election sweeteners to save the SPD?
Our opponents attempt to label us as such since they lack concrete proposals of their own. In truth, I've never been driven by ideologies. I aim to find practical solutions. Our proposals are well-designed, well-researched, and feasible.
However, you must acknowledge what's no longer possible.
I can inform you of the costs. If we roll out annual Christmas bonuses for basic pensioners, it would amount to 27 million euros. But the total budget is 14 billion euros, so that's an insignificant fraction. It's a powerful symbol. In contrast, the real estate transfer tax reduction, which the CDU, FDP, and AfD advocated for, costs 45 million euros each year.
A minimum wage of 15 euros might appeal to many, but that's not a state responsibility, it's a commission at the federal level.
In Thuringia, wages are usually below western German levels by around 20 percent. That cannot continue. Businesses are desperately searching for new talent. Of course, competitive pay is a significant factor in attracting and retaining talent. If we fail to attract and retain skilled workers, Thuringia's economy will not prosper. That's why the AfD's policy is so damaging. Businesses are telling me that massive deportations, as the AfD advocates, are not an option. Our healthcare system would crumble, and the tourism industry would grind to a halt.
Despite this, the minimum wage level is not a state issue.
That's not the point, but the state government can impose this condition when awarding contracts. Only award contracts to companies that pay at least 15 euros per hour. That's our objective.
You're from Baden-Württemberg and have spent a long time working in Frankfurt am Main. If you ask your old friends and family: What's happening in Thuringia? What would you say? How right-wing and anti-democratic are the Thuringians?
I won't cast aspersions on AfD voters. I try to understand their motivations. Justice is a critical factor to prevent people from voting for authoritarian or populist parties. That's what I tell my friends: There's a lot of unrest due to the continuing social disparities between East and West, despite the passage of time.
How do you determine that, beyond wages?
Consider private wealth. It's on average half as high here as in the West. People should have savings. That means recent price increases, including food prices that have skyrocketed by up to 30 percent, are a major burden. That means many people must cut back. No more vacations.
Is there no limit to right-wing extremism for people? You can be extremely dissatisfied, but you don't have to vote for a right-wing extremist like AfD candidate Björn Höcke.
In Sonneberg, the AfD has a district administrator. But people are beginning to realize that he's not achieving anything. Particularly in the realm of migration. He cannot even implement the payment card for asylum seekers. The AfD is merely promoting the exit from the Euro and the EU. That would be disastrous for Thuringia. At the same time, they fan the flames of fear about migrants. To them, anyone with a migration background is a potential criminal. Then they offer simplistic solutions that don't work. But they still gain traction due to the general dissatisfaction with established parties.
The SPD is also part of that, as they're in power at the federal level.
The traffic light coalition isn't entirely blameless. The ongoing squabbles are hurting communication. Yet, the traffic light has managed to steer us through the crises fairly well. Now, we have an industrial electricity price lower than before the crisis. However, it's struggling to showcase these victories, which makes it easier for populists.
On Tuesday, you'll be campaigning with Olaf Scholz in Jena. Dietmar Woidke, Brandenburg's Minister President, has decided to withdraw his support. Would it have been easier without the Chancellor's visit?
I'm glad he's joining us. He's our federal chancellor. We always welcome support. What I'm not a fan of is the situation within the traffic light coalition. But that's not the SPD's fault, it's our coalition partners'.
The dissatisfaction also has real roots. Crime rates have actually increased, as shown by the police crime statistics. And that's in our jurisdiction.
But Thuringia remains one of the safest states. While there may be some fluctuations, it's normal. Gun use, murder, and manslaughter have all decreased. However, we've seen an increase in property crimes. I don't want to minimize the fact that we've also seen an increase in crime among immigrants. I've never denied this. Most of this activity happens in reception facilities. We're also dealing with crimes involving knives. In Thuringia, we're currently working on establishing weapon-free zones to give the police more options. Those who don't comply face severe consequences, including swift deportation.
But that's not working, is it? Chancellor Scholz once promised mass deportations. Not much has happened.
I've been responsible for migration since December. Before that, the topic was handled by the Green coalition partner in the Ministry of Justice, which led to significant shortcomings. The initial reception process was chaotic at times. We've brought order to the chaos and deported 60% more people. We're deporting repeat and habitual offenders. A lot has changed.
If you want to stay as Interior Minister, the SPD must be part of the next government. You've rejected the previous red-red-green coalition. Are you abandoning the sinking ship?
Red-Red-Green has no future. It's a simple math. The polls are clear. This alliance is no longer sought after.
Were the past five years of minority government stagnant, as critics claim?
A minority government was challenging from the start because there was no reliable partner for tolerance. Initially, the CDU cooperated. When there were no new elections because the CDU didn't want them, we had to govern without a majority. I strongly advise against this. It didn't work out in any way. We managed to make crucial decisions, like setting up budgets, but it was always lengthy and difficult. Some random decisions were made due to the circumstances. I strongly advise against this approach.
Was your rejection of red-red-green also an attempt to form an alliance with CDU, SPD, and BSW?
Thuringia desperately needs a majority government. Of course, we're open to this possibility. In such a government, we'll prioritize social issues.
The only realistic option is an alliance of CDU, SPD, and BSW.
That's how it is. A two-party coalition won't happen, so we'll have to create a three-party coalition. That will only work with the SPD.
CDU and SPD have coalitioned before. But aren't you concerned about the BSW, with Sahra Wagenknecht dictating from Berlin or Saarland?
The BSW is still a mystery. We really don't know what they want. Their program is vague. It has leftist elements, but also nationalist ones. I've met a few pragmatic people, like the lead candidate Katja Wolf. That would be a starting point for me. The question is whether Mrs. Wagenknecht will approve.
Mrs. Wagenknecht is trying to set conditions for government participation from the outside, especially regarding issues we can't decide in Thuringia, like weapons deliveries to Ukraine or the stationing of US rockets in Germany. That won't work. Neither the CDU nor the SPD can meet these demands. If the BSW focuses on what's important for Thuringia, a coalition could be possible.
This would then be the motto: Everyone against the AfD and exactly what Höcke desires. Then they can say again: We stand alone against the rest. Can this be resolved?
You see, with the AfD, we know exactly what they are, unlike the BSW: a racist, far-right party. They categorize people into good and bad. This contradicts the Basic Law. Therefore, cooperation is out of the question. The AfD tries to discredit us as an "old party". In fact, we are the oldest democratic party in Germany. We're proud of that.
Volker Petersen spoke with Georg Maier
The SPD, despite their efforts with candidate Georg Maier, continues to struggle in Thuringia's polls, with their support dropping from eight percent in 2019 to seven percent currently. However, Maier remains hopeful, pointing out the presence of many undecided voters and their focus on local issues.
In terms of their campaign strategy, Maier emphasizes the need to address issues like wages and cost of living, as people in Sonneberg are frustrated with minimum wages being lower than in nearby Coburg and retirees unable to live on their pensions. The SPD's proposed initiatives, such as a Christmas bonus for retirees and a minimum wage of 15 euros, are met with criticism from opponents but seen as practical solutions by Maier.
