Merkel on AfD success in Saxony-Anhalt: “Simply shocking”

The AfD's electoral success in Saxony-Anhalt deeply affected former Chancellor Angela Merkel. That was “simply shocking,” said the former CDU party leader at Deutsche Telekom’s Digital X trade fair in Cologne. Her party suffered a bitter defeat in the state and saw its share of the vote halved.

“As a CDU member, my heart is bleeding,” said the Christian Democrat, who was Chancellor from 2005 to 2021. “This is a turning point, a real turning point, that we are experiencing in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany.”

The former CDU party leader recommended a different type of communication in order to better reach the population and better explain progress. “Speaking to citizens individually” has probably become more important than before, said Merkel. Democratic parties must now seek greater contact with citizens.

Feelings instead of facts

She finds it worrying that facts no longer have such a high priority for many citizens and that feelings are instead referred to. As an example, she cited what she described as a factual statement that unemployment had fallen and individual prosperity had increased in Saxony-Anhalt. “And then the top candidate (AfD Ulrich Siegmund) says, “It could be, but it’s not felt that way.”

One should not allow such an attitude to gain majority support, said Merkel. “It was the progress of the Enlightenment that the sum of people could agree on facts.” If feeling takes over and facts are no longer valued as the most important thing, that would be a step backwards in civilization.