Criticism of Manuela Schwesig's election campaign strategy in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

“Manuela Schwesig puts her party political interests above the interests of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania,” said CDU General Secretary Franziska Hoppermann.

"Your attempt to keep the CDU down with a personalized election campaign weakens the political center and ultimately helps the AfD." That is "irresponsible."

SPD politician Schwesig is betting that her party will be stronger than the AfD in the state elections on September 20th. However, the CDU fears that it will fall behind due to the two-party election campaign.

Some Christian Democrats are already worried that they will fail to meet the five percent threshold and thus miss out on returning to the state parliament. In surveys, the former People's Party was still at around seven percent.

Green Party leader Banaszak: Schwesig “without regard for losses”

CDU leading candidate Daniel Peters spoke to Norddeutscher Rundfunk about a “serious situation”. According to Peters, Schwesig's polarization course is not only at the expense of the AfD, the political center is being weakened and the AfD is being strengthened.

General Secretary Hoppermann added that Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania does not need an SPD fighting for its own majority, but a strong CDU that ensures clear conditions. If you want to prevent a left-wing majority, you have to vote for the CDU.

Peters complained to NDR: "Schwesig is running an election campaign against the CDU and, by the way, also against the Greens."

Leading Green politicians were also outraged by Schwesig's election campaign, saying it was ruthless. Party leader Felix Banaszak said: "The majority for red-red-green is within reach, but Manuela Schwesig is counting on everyone who wants to prevent the AfD to come to her - and is consciously risking that the CDU or the Greens will fall out of the state parliament." He spoke of an election campaign focused on them "without regard for losses."

"Without clear democratic majorities there will be chaos," warned Banaszak. “In Saxony-Anhalt we now have the lettuce,” and unclear conditions are also threatening in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. He also considers Schwesig's actions to be irresponsible. "With all understanding for personal ambitions: It's not about a nice election evening for the SPD, it's about five good years for Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania."

The AfD is ahead in the state election polls, but Prime Minister Schwesig's SPD has caught up enormously in the last few weeks. Like the CDU, the Greens also have to fear re-entry into the state parliament; according to the surveys, the SPD, Left and Greens still have a majority, while the SPD, CDU and Greens do not.