After the end of the state elections, the focus in Germany is entirely on the radical government program of the party "Alternative for Germany" (AfD) in the state of Saxony-Anhalt (Source: mdr.de/nachrichten/sachsen-anhalt/landtagswahl/). Led by its leader Ulrich Sigmund, the political force presented an ambitious plan for governance that has sparked serious debate among lawyers and economists in the country.
Here are the key election promises of the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt for a complete transformation of regional politics:
Reform in the media and public administration
As a first official step, the AfD plans to unilaterally terminate state contracts for public radio and television, aimed at directly against the regional operator MDR (Source: handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/it-medien/). The party is demanding the abolition of the mandatory monthly fee and its replacement with a minimum “basic funding“. The plan also includes administrative cuts – closing 1 to 2 provincial ministries and completely eliminating budget funding for programs aimed at “promoting democracy“.
Strict measures in migration policy and asylum law
The program envisages a complete migration adjustment and the introduction of the so-called “departure culture“ (Source: beck-aktuell.de/heute-im-recht/meinung/). Among the main highlights are:
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Increase capacity and number of detentions for the purpose of subsequent deportation.
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Introduction of a work obligation for asylum seekers.
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Conceptual replacement of the current right to asylum with the so-called state "mercy", granted individually.
Changes in schools and education
In the field of school education, the AfD offers separate classes and classes for the children of asylum seekers in order to make language adaptation easier in their opinion (Source: deutschlandfunk.de/afd-bildungspolitik-sachsen-anhalt/). In addition, a categorical ban is foreseen on the display of rainbow flags (LGBT symbols) on the territory of state schools.
Economic incentives for business and youth
In economic terms, it is based on less bureaucracy for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and testing special economic zones in Saxony-Anhalt (Source: mdr.de/nachrichten/sachsen-anhalt/landtagswahl/vergleich-parteien-106/). The craft sector will be supported by the introduction of a “voluntary craft year“, with state subsidies for driving licenses and acquiring master certificates for excellent students.
Parliamentary investigation into COVID-19
The AfD program also includes a judicial-political revision of the past, expressed in the immediate launch of an official parliamentary investigation into the measures and overall policy during the COVID-19 pandemic (Source: stern.de/politik/deutschland/).
Economic and legal realism
The renowned Institute for Economic Research in Halle (IWH) has already published a critical analysis, according to which the financial gap for the implementation of these promises amounts to over 2 billion euros per year (Source: stern.de/politik/deutschland/). Legal experts also express serious doubts whether many of the deportation measures and changes to asylum law do not contradict German constitutional law and European directives.