Civil society alliance against AfD majority in Saxony-Anhalt

In Saxony-Anhalt, an alliance from civil society wants to prevent the AfD from gaining an absolute majority - actors from sport, culture, science and business support the “True love of home is…” campaign by the “More than divides us” association. They include the actors Sandra Hülser, Christian Friedel, Anna Schudt and Max Simonischek.

“If the AfD achieves an absolute majority in the state elections on September 6th and appoints the Prime Minister, it would have serious social and economic consequences – not only for Saxony-Anhalt, but far beyond,” the association said.

The aim is to prevent the AfD from gaining an absolute majority. Citizens should exercise their right to vote on September 6th and take responsibility for the future of Saxony-Anhalt by voting for a democratic party, said a statement from the association, which claims to be independent. In Saxony-Anhalt, the AfD has been classified as definitely right-wing extremist by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution.

The poster motifs are primarily intended to show what consequences the implementation of the AfD election program would have - for example in culture or in care. The association has collected donations and developed a multimedia campaign. On top of that, a bus tour through Saxony-Anhalt is planned, during which people will be invited to complete the sentence “True love of home is…”.

The supporters also include the vice president of SC Magdeburg, René Bethke, Getec founder Karl Gerhold and the archaeologist Harald Meller. The former rector of the Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences, Anne Lequy, and the team boss of the BMW motorsport team, Torsten Schubert, are also included.

In Saxony-Anhalt, several alliances have already been formed that warn against electing extremists. The German Federation of Trade Unions supports the campaign “We are Saxony-Anhalt: committed and cosmopolitan!”. The organization Campact also wants to prevent a sole AfD government with a targeted campaign. The initiators of the “Tactically Vote 2026” campaign pursue the same goal.

Representatives of the churches have also taken a position. With the “Choose Consciously” initiative, the Diocese of Magdeburg focuses on human dignity, charity and solidarity. Furthermore, an alliance of cultural institutions has launched the “Pride in Diversity” campaign.

Actor Jan Josef Liefers strikes a different tone in the “Lanz & Precht” podcast when it comes to the election in Saxony-Anhalt. The permanent focus on the party would only make the AfD bigger. "It's such a monstrous structure. But in the end it is the only classic protest party," says Liefers in the podcast.

He has just filmed the film adaptation of Juli Zeh's new novel "About People" in Saxony-Anhalt. “You think you’re in Nazi land there, that’s how you’re always sold,” he says. Instead of hate speech, he met “incredibly friendly people” there who, above all, had the feeling that no one really noticed them.