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After the election in Saxony-Anhalt, a debate began about whether reforms need to be approached more carefully in order not to further unsettle voters.
After the election in Saxony-Anhalt, a familiar debate immediately began. Do reforms now have to be approached even more carefully in order not to further unsettle people?
Anyone who assumes that structural reforms generally drive voters to the political fringes is making a mistake. He overlooks the quite heterogeneous AfD electorate.
On the one hand, there are the voters who have internally permanently said goodbye to the democratic parties. Others have expectations of the state that are difficult to fulfill given demographics, weak growth and tight public finances.
This part of the AfD electorate is unlikely to be won over by the centrist parties in the short term.
However, there are likely to be more and more people - including many entrepreneurs - who are seriously concerned about Germany's economic condition. You see the weak growth that has been going on for years. Their businesses are struggling under high energy prices and growing bureaucracy.
These voters in particular would basically be accessible. But it is not enough to just communicate better. They want the government to actually solve the problems through effective reforms.
Former Hesse Prime Minister Roland Koch defends Chancellor Friedrich Merz against criticism and, after the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt, shows understanding for the debate about an AfD ban, but warns of how long it will last.
After the historic electoral success of the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt, the new parliamentary group comes together. The MPs include people with connections to the banned “Artgemeinschaft”, a Stasi past and contacts with Russia.
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Following investigations and searches against Berlin's top SPD candidate Steffen Krach, the party has given details of a rejected donation of 9,900 euros.
Friedrich Merz is deep in crisis, but remains in office for the time being because no one wants to take over his position and there is great fear of a collapse of the CDU and government. His weak leadership and clumsy statements are making the situation worse.
The CDU Großbeeren has sent an incendiary letter to party leader Friedrich Merz. After the AfD victory in Saxony-Anhalt, 33 members criticized the lack of reforms and the loss of voter trust, but did not call for resignation.