CDU leader Friedrich Merz excludes cooperation with the AfD in Thuringia, as it is classified as right-wing extremist. According to surveys, the AfD with top candidate Björn Höcke is far ahead, while the CDU with Mario Voigt as top candidate comes to around 21%.
The CDU wants to govern again in Thuringia after ten years in opposition. Merz hopes that the election results in Thuringia and Saxony, where the SPD, Greens and FDP are close to the five percent mark, will influence the Berlin traffic light coalition.
Voigt calls on his supporters to vote CDU on September 1 to prevent Höcke from 'getting a foot on the ground'. Sahra Wagenknecht, leader of the BSW, wants to participate in coalition negotiations in Thuringia and Saxony.
The CDU and SPD criticize Wagenknecht's intervention and conditions for coalitions. A survey shows that 60% of East Germans see living conditions in the West as better.
They also believe that West Germans have prejudices against East Germans. The AfD is perceived as the strongest party in the upcoming elections in Thuringia and Saxony.
The reorientation of power in East Germany could result in new coalitions and challenges for the CDU and other parties.
