Saxony-Anhalt election and VW restructuring plan: firewall under pressure

With the election in Saxony-Anhalt, the firewall threatens to crack further. Whether the exclusion of the AfD does more harm than good - and what the near scandal at VW reveals about Germany.

Saxony-Anhalt will elect a new state parliament on Sunday. After the election, is there “only” a threat in the CDU about a possible coalition with the Left? Or will Germany from now on debate about ending the AfD firewall?

Publicist Miriam Meckel calls for AfD voters to address the “uncertainty, feelings of powerlessness and real problems” instead of talking about firewalls. Handelsblatt editor-in-chief Sebastian Matthes sees Saxony-Anhalt as proof that feelings cannot be refuted with facts.

It's also about the future of Volkswagen: On Thursday, the company's top management and employee representatives surprisingly agreed on a restructuring plan - after tough negotiations about plant closures, job cuts and remuneration. You can hear what the tussle over Germany's largest car manufacturer reveals about this country in the current episode.

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