Election campaign: State election campaigns are coming to an end

One day before the eagerly awaited state elections in Thuringia and Saxony, the parties are once again courting voters’ favor. The AfD, for example, is making a final push in the Thuringian election campaign with its final rally in Erfurt, where top candidate Björn Höcke and federal chairwoman Alice Weidel will speak. The Left Party, with its top candidate and current Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (Left Party), is in Gera.

In Saxony, the Left Party’s top candidate Susanne Schaper is ending her election campaign in Leipzig. Meanwhile, alliances in Zwickau and Dresden want to demonstrate for tolerance and democracy in view of the elections. Around 8,000 people are expected to attend the rally in the state capital.

The state elections could create completely new starting positions in the two federal states and make it difficult to form a government, especially in Thuringia.

Polls show AfD clearly ahead in Thuringia

In Thuringia, according to the ZDF political barometer published on Thursday, the AfD is at 29 percent, clearly in first place ahead of the CDU with 23 percent and the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) with 18 percent. In Saxony, according to the research group Wahlen, the CDU is at 33 percent, ahead of the AfD with 30 percent. According to the survey, the Left Party would not be represented in the state parliament with 4 percent – the Greens and the SPD would each get 6 percent. The BSW is at 12 percent in the survey.

According to opinion researcher Manfred Güllner, the outcome in Saxony and Thuringia is unusually difficult to predict. The two state premiers – Ramelow and Michael Kretschmer (CDU) – are both very popular.

Chancellor Scholz’s appearance in Saxony accompanied by boos

The parties once again campaigned vigorously for approval on Friday. Top politicians from the federal parties are also travelling to the two states for final rallies. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) appeared together with top candidate Petra Köpping at the end of the Saxon Social Democrats’ election campaign in Chemnitz, which was accompanied by loud protests. Boos and whistles could be heard again and again at a rally by the small right-wing extremist party Free Saxony.

In his speech, the Chancellor stressed that Germany needs workers from other countries in the world. “Otherwise, prosperity and a future in Germany will not work out.” What is needed is openness for the labor market and those who need protection, but also clear regulations for managing migration.”

SPD clearly in single digits in polls for the two state elections

SPD leader Saskia Esken is worried about her party’s performance in Sunday’s elections. “We are fighting to ensure that the Social Democrats continue to be represented in the state parliaments and in stable governments,” she told the “Augsburger Allgemeine”.

In the latest polls, the SPD is at between 6 and 7 percent in both federal states, so failure to clear the five percent hurdle does not seem out of the question. “Of course, this worries me greatly and weighs on my heart. We must make it clear again that the SPD stands for social justice, good wages and successful education policy,” stressed Esken.

The SPD leader lamented the good performance of parties such as the AfD and BSW in the polls. “That is frightening and, especially with regard to the BSW, also astonishing. People cannot possibly know what is coming and are apparently prepared to buy a pig in a poke.”