The elections in Saxony-Anhalt put Chancellor Merz and his Christian Democratic Union in a difficult position. Among Merz's party members there are those who already want his resignation. A few lessons from the elections.
"This is not an election for chancellor" - this phrase was often heard during the election campaign in the cities of Saxony-Anhalt. In this way, the CDU base tried to prevent Friedrich Merz's unpopularity in cities such as Magdeburg, Dessau or Groningen from having an impact on the provincial elections.
1. The Chancellor's instability is growing
Merz's few appearances in the province served one purpose above all: to hold meetings in a controlled environment - away from the ordinary population, notes the ARD. After the vote in Saxony-Anhalt, it seems almost impossible for the CDU to run again with Merz in the Bundestag elections. The question is: how much longer will he remain in office?
On the evening of the election, the first calls for his resignation were heard from the back ranks of the CDU. The party needs a “personal and political new beginning”, said Tim Brand, a member of the leadership of the youth organization of the conservatives in Brandenburg. “Therefore, Friedrich Merz must resign as Chancellor and as Chairman of the CDU.“ The question is whether these kinds of calls will also be heard at a higher level in the coming days and weeks, notes the German public media.
2. Strategic voters supported the Social Democrats and the Greens
The results that the Social Democrats and the Green Party ultimately achieved turned out to be better than expected - and both political forces feared that they would not pass the eight percent barrier. But it should not be forgotten that many of the votes they received were protest votes - in reaction to the large support for the “Alternative for Germany“.
Analysis shows that thousands of voters voted for these two parties, instead of the usual CDU. But party strategists in Berlin know that these voters cannot be relied on in the long term and the trend should not be interpreted as national. However, there is also hope that some voters could be retained permanently.
3. The “Sarah Wagenknecht” Alliance could become a factor in power
In the spring, many polls gave the "Sarah Wagenknecht" (SSV) Union a maximum of four percent in Saxony-Anhalt. And later, the disputes within the party only intensified: in Thuringia, its leading representatives broke away and founded a new party, ARD recalls. The main reason: "We don't want to flirt with the far right", as Thuringia's Finance Minister Katja Wolf put it.
She and her supporters were shocked by the activity with which Sarah Wagenknecht had been trying to get closer to the "Alternative for Germany" in recent weeks. In Saxony-Anhalt, she has signaled that she may support the choice of prime minister proposed by the AfD.
However, the disputes over the course and the chaotic last few days do not seem to have harmed the SSJ, the German public media analyzes. It is even estimated that 2,000 AfD voters voted for the SSJ - most likely because of the desire for joint governance. However, the question remains: what exactly is the party's cause? How will it behave in local parliaments? And will it help the AfD increase its power?
4. No one knows what to do from now on
The results of the Saxony-Anhalt elections have been emerging for months, but neither the winners nor the other parties are clear about what to do from now on, the ARD also comments.
The AfD should now form a government. It should talk to the others and explore the prerequisites for a compromise, i.e. to try to achieve the best for the country. However, the leading candidate of the AfD, Ulrich Sigmund, more or less ruled this out before the elections. Now he says that he was ready to reach out, but it is clear that he is not really inclined to compromise.
The conservatives turned a blind eye to the danger and said to themselves - and this time everything will be fine. But that turned out not to be enough. The CDU, for example, must have been aware that a majority against the AfD without the Left Party would not be possible. But clear statements to this effect were never made, despite the fact that in Thuringia and Saxony the conservatives have long cooperated with the left.
Not only in Saxony-Anhalt, in Berlin they also do not know what to do, and politicians react with clichés, writes ARD. The CDU says that they have not managed to touch the people emotionally. The Social Democrats prefer to talk about their “stable result“. It should have been better managed, better explained. But what will the voters think when they hear this?
The country is not on the brink of collapse
Probably there should be more optimism, because not everything is black. The voter turnout was huge, many people committed to democracy. The country is not on the brink of a precipice and the AfD should not be allowed to suggest otherwise.