2024-09-07 02:12:31
After Saxony and Thuringia, the CDU now faces the state elections in Brandenburg. Here, too, the AfD threatens to become the strongest force. In return, the Christian Democrats could achieve something historic.
Jan Redmann grins contentedly. The CDU’s top candidate from Brandenburg is standing on the stage between Michael Kretschmer and Mario Voigt – the topic is the weaknesses of the traffic light coalition. A topic that could be exploited for hours these days. The CDU is putting up posters all over towns.
The two men from Saxony and Thuringia, who have just won a state election themselves, came to Brandenburg an der Havel on Wednesday evening to support Redmann. Because in just over two weeks, elections will be held here too. “Enough is enough,” Voigt calls out to the crowd. “The traffic lights must be turned off. That must be the message on September 22nd.” The audience cheers. And Redmann grins even wider.
Sitting in the audience between members, candidates and onlookers is another person who has travelled there especially: Friedrich Merz. While the three CDU men are bashing the government, the party leader frowns a little. He takes out his pen and scribbles something on a piece of paper. The opposition leader is actually always open to criticism of the traffic light coalition. It would be easy to join in here. But Merz is also concerned with something else.
The CDU is not entirely satisfied with the state election results in Saxony and Thuringia. Although the Christian Democrats have a good chance of becoming the Prime Minister in both states in the future, both Kretschmer and Voigt had hoped for more. And even Merz said in a press conference on Monday: “We could have imagined more, especially in Thuringia.” The reason for this: In both states, a few votes are missing from the desired coalition. This is especially true as it could be particularly difficult for Voigt. He is even likely to face a minority government.
The question that no one dares to talk about yet, but which has long been discussed in the background: What was the reason? And from that: What conclusions can we draw? Because the next election is just over two weeks away.
And the CDU in Brandenburg is actually hoping to make history and replace the SPD prime minister there for the first time. But so far, top candidate Redmann and his party are in third place in the polls. Just behind the SPD – and quite a bit behind the AfD. In the other two elections, the final spurt was not really successful. Can it succeed in Brandenburg?
Up until now, the CDU chairman was not really considered a wild card in the election campaign. At least not if you look back at the last state elections. In Saxony in particular, Kretschmer had to struggle for a long time with the fact that Merz was one of the loudest critics of the government on the issue of aid to Ukraine, for example, while the mood around Kretschmer in the state was very different. Only after repeated requests did the chairman begin to push the issue into the background. Parts of the CDU in Saxony still believe that this ultimately cost the party percentage points.
But in Brandenburg the strategy is to be different. The big election campaign theme here is: The traffic light coalition must go. And the opposition leader is exactly the right guest. Criticism of Olaf Scholz and his government? Merz can deliver it at any time of day or night. “The traffic light coalition is finished,” Merz shouted on Wednesday evening as he stood at the lectern, and received great applause for his actions.
The question is: is that enough?
It is also clear that the CDU is raising the bar ever higher these days and stoking expectations. What if it is back in charge and things are not so easy? Many people, especially at the top of the party, are well aware of the danger that this could play into the AfD’s account. Perhaps that is why Merz has decided not to just talk about the traffic light coalition. On the contrary, the chairman explains in almost great detail what the CDU is planning. Especially with regard to migration. This is met with less applause. Even a few heckles, such as “It’s your fault” and “Thank you, Merkel” echo from the crowd towards the stage. But Merz just carries on.
When Jan Redmann is asked on stage why people should vote for him, the CDU candidate says: “Because people long for a different politics.” They would like to see an alternative model. But in Brandenburg the CDU is not in the opposition. It is already in government. With the SPD and the Greens.