Mario Voigt: Bundestag election 2029 as a fateful choice between the CDU and AfD

Thuringia's Prime Minister Mario Voigt (CDU) described the result of the state election in Saxony-Anhalt as a "wake-up call for all of us" and declared the 2029 federal election a directional decision. “It will be a fateful election between the CDU and AfD,” Voigt told “Zeit”.

Then it's a question of "whether we give up everything that made Germany strong: unity in freedom, ties to the West and a liberal system of values. Or whether we leave the EU, abolish the euro and bug ourselves into authoritarian systems." This is “the historic mission that the Union must accept – now, not in 2029”.

In the "Zeit" interview, Voigt drew a line from the founding of the Federal Republic to 2029: "In 1949, the Union enforced ties to the West, against considerable resistance, and thus paved the way for a social market economy. In 1989, courageous East Germans tore down the wall, and the Union said: We want unity." Now, 40 years later, the next fundamental decision is coming up. "Every time the Union has had to set the direction. This time it will be no different."

In response to the objection that the CDU's hope of being able to govern the AfD down to size had been disappointed, Voigt promised: "Governing is part of the answer, but not the whole thing. I am sure: by 2029 we will crack the AfD's code in Thuringia." This code is “basically simple”:

"The AfD creates hope through differentiation. It promises everything to everyone, it is present everywhere, and it tells politics in such a way that it reaches more people than other parties." The answer can only be “hope through results”. Anyone who renews economic growth and with it the “promise of prosperity for all” also stabilizes the democratic system. “Anyone who trusts people again is taking away the AfD’s business model.”

Voigt is under pressure himself because of plagiarism allegations and the BSW resignations in Thuringia. Despite the turmoil in his coalition, he wants to continue. “I don’t run away from problems, I solve them,” the 49-year-old told the Funke Medien Thuringia newspapers a few days ago. Neither because of his attitude nor because of his upbringing does he belong to a “runaway species”.

Voigt formed Germany's first so-called blackberry coalition in Thuringia in 2024, consisting of the CDU, BSW and SPD. Before the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt, the BSW parliamentary group in the Thuringian state parliament collapsed last week. Ten of the once 15 BSW MPs now form a new parliamentary group called Thuringia.Gerecht, two remained BSW members but are now non-attached and three more are striving to found a parliamentary group. Voigt now leads a minority government.