Friedrich Merz calls for greater substantive debate with the AfD

The day before the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt, Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) called for a stronger debate on the content of the AfD. “We have to conduct the debate with this party better,” he said at a campaign event in Lower Saxony, where local elections are taking place next week. «We have to deal with the content. We also have to think about the choice of words.”

Merz referred to a statement by Saxony-Anhalt's AfD state leader Martin Reichardt, who said at a federal conference of the AfD youth organization Generation Germany that the state is now "a lazy Asi that stinks of dope." That shows “what these people think of our country,” said Merz. It also shows how you have to deal with these people. “We won’t let these people talk our country into ruin,” emphasized the CDU federal chairman.

The Federal Republic of Germany can look back on an almost 80-year success story - with many problems and many challenges. “But we are still one of the wealthiest countries in the world. We are still one of the safest countries in the world. And we are still a stable, consolidated democracy."

Two visits to Saxony-Anhalt without any appearances in front of voters

Elections will take place in Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday. The AfD is well ahead of the CDU in the polls and is not far from an absolute majority. Merz has visited the eastern German state twice in the past few days - without making a public appearance in front of voters.

In Quedlinburg and Leuna, isolated from the public, he spoke to CDU candidates for the state parliament and officials, visited a biorefinery and the Quedlinburg collegiate church. At both appointments there were only short statements with top candidate Sven Schulze to journalists. In Hanover, Merz spoke to around 300 CDU members in a hotel at the airport.