The Conservative Democratic Union (CDU) and the Alternative for Germany (AfD) are engaged in a tight competition in Saxony.
In the recent Saxony state election, the CDU led by Minister President Michael Kretschmer is neck-and-neck with the AfD. Based on projections from ARD and ZDF, the BSW, spearheaded by Sahra Wagenknecht, is projected to enter the state parliament for the first time, surpassing the SPD and Greens, who were Kretschmer's previous coalition partners.
The election projections suggest that the CDU might secure 31.5 to 32 percent, the AfD 30 to 31.5 percent, and the BSW 11.5 to 12 percent. The SPD is predicted to gain a slight 7.5 to 8.5 percent, while the Greens are teetering on the edge with 5 to 5.5 percent. Regrettably, both the Left and the FDP, projected to earn 1 percent according to ZDF's data, fail to make it into the state parliament.
On casting his vote at a polling station in Dresden, Kretschmer described the election as "decisive." He expressed gratitude to many individuals who had "voted differently" in the past but had now chosen the "powerful centrist force in Saxony," indicating his support for the CDU. Kretschmer believed that this shared understanding would enable them to form a government that serves the region.
Historically, Kretschmer's CDU has ruled in coalition with the SPD and Greens, but he aimed to steer clear of a coalition with the Greens again in the future. He did not reject the possibility of an alliance with the BSW.
Should the AfD manage to secure a third of the seats in the state parliament, they would acquire what is known as a "blocking minority." This would make it impossible to pass any constitutional amendments against them, and they could also impede the appointment of judges.
More updates to come
The AfD's projected strong performance in the election could potentially grant them a "blocking minority" in the Saxony state parliament, restricting the passage of constitutional amendments and judicial appointments. Despite Kretschmer's historical coalition with the SPD and Greens, he did not rule out the possibility of an alliance with the BSW, which is projected to enter parliament for the first time.
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