Information meeting in the morning, 02.09.: Historic AfD success in Thuringia

For the first time in post-war history, the AfD, a party classified as right-wing extremist, has become the strongest force in a state election. According to the preliminary results, it is in first place in Thuringia. The state elections in Thuringia and Saxony are the topic of the morning with Andreas Böhnisch.

In Saxony, Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer and his CDU remain the strongest political force: 31.9 percent is the preliminary result, and Kretschmer will probably be able to continue to govern. Bodo Ramelow (The Left) is completely different: he was voted out as Prime Minister of Thuringia. His party, The Left, lost more than half of the votes and only received 13.1 percent.

AfD demands government participation in Thuringia

The CDU only became the second strongest political force in Thuringia – behind the AfD, which won the state election with 32.8 percent. State leader Björn Höcke reaffirmed his party’s claim to power in the ARD election broadcast last night: “We are ready to take on government responsibility.” […] We will analyse the situation in the party committees next week and then decide on it; we will make these offers for talks.” The AfD in Thuringia will govern – but no other party will work with the right-wing extremists.

BW Green Party leader Schwarz: “Turning point for democracy”

The results of the state elections in Saxony and Thuringia are also worrying the parties in the southwest. In Baden-Württemberg, the Green Party’s parliamentary group leader, Andreas Schwarz, called the election night “a turning point for democracy”. CDU state and parliamentary group leader Manuel Hagel sees his party as an “anchor of stability”. The poor performance of the traffic light parties is an “alarm signal for democracy”. The SPD is also worried: State and parliamentary group leader Andreas Stoch finds it “frightening” that the AfD has become the strongest force in Thuringia. FDP parliamentary group leader Hans-Ulrich Rülke has concluded from the elections that he will no longer enter into a traffic light coalition.

RLP-CDU state leader Baldauf: “Political disaster”

In Rhineland-Palatinate, the state chairman of the CDU, Christian Baldauf, spoke of a “political disaster”. He called on SPD Chancellor Olaf Scholz to resign. The traffic light coalition is damaging democracy. The Rhineland-Palatinate AfD, on the other hand, viewed the results in Thuringia and Saxony as a tremendous success. Alexander Ullrich, a member of the Sahra Wagenknecht coalition in Rhineland-Palatinate, explained that the BSW would bring about noticeable changes in Saxony and Thuringia.