On today’s state elections in Saxony and Thuringia, the CDUState Chairman Manuel Hagel MdL:
- The CDU is the anchor of stability in the political centre and the only relevant force in the fight against the AfD and other extremists.
- The performance of the radical forces is bitter, but the fact that it has now turned out as predicted should really come as no surprise to anyone.
- Unfortunately, the SPD, Greens and FDP have become almost irrelevant in the fight against extremists. The performance of the traffic light parties is a historically unprecedented slap in the face for a German federal government.
There are reasons for this: the politics of the traffic light parties SPD, Greens and FDP do not consist of political problem solving, but of constant conflict. The motto of the Berlin traffic light is: blocking instead of governing. This is exactly what makes these populists strong. The voters in Saxony and Thuringia paid the price for this today.
To be clear: I am not happy about the decline of the SPD, the Greens and the FDP. Our democracy needs competition in the political centre of our society and in the future – perhaps more importantly than ever – majorities from the democratic centre will also be needed. As a bourgeois people’s party, we Christian Democrats accept the responsibility of standing up for precisely this cohesion in our society.
My congratulations this evening go to Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer and Mario Voigt. The CDU is pursuing good and sensible policies in Saxony and Thuringia. That is why it is right and good for both states if Michael Kretschmer and Mario Voigt take on government responsibility. In the past weeks and months, they have run a highly committed and successful election campaign with many thousands of campaigners. In doing so, they have shown the spirit that is needed: we Christian Democrats give confidence, stand for social cohesion and have the skills to look to the future.
In August I was in East Germany myself and was able to support Christian Democrats in their election campaign. I met two countries there with wonderful people and huge opportunities. East Germany has lots of great stories of optimism to tell. To do this, it needs strong characters at the top. They are Michael Kretschmer and Mario Voigt. Together with the Union, they ensure stability, leadership and competence.
