Sachsen-Anhalt Prime Minister Sven Schulze (CDU) drew several lessons from the defeat of top candidate Manuel Hagel and the Südwest‑CDU in the Baden‑Württemberg state election. Speaking to “Die Welt”, he said, “Polls are one thing, the result on election day is another”. The Greens had long trailed the CDU-sometimes by as much as 16 percent-but that gap did not translate into an electoral advantage. “What matters most is the top candidate, less and less the programmes and parties” Schulze added.
Schulze sees a similar pattern in his own state. “Just as in Baden‑Württemberg the contest will focus on two parties, in Sachsen‑Anhalt it will be the CDU versus the AfD” he explained. “The experience in the South West showed us that the leadership matters. Therefore this campaign will be tuned almost entirely to me. As prime minister, I can demonstrate through my governing work how I envision our future. I will not be swayed by polling data until election day, and that is what matters”.
He also weighed the influence of national politics on state elections. “State elections are strongly tied to their own regions, but they are never completely detached from the federal government’s performance” he said. “It is true that the Union has gained a small edge at the federal level recently, but that advantage must grow even more quickly in the coming months”.
Schulze announced that the CDU will present a distinctly pro‑citizens, conservative profile in the state. “We will speak to the issues that matter to Sachsen‑Anhalt and decide what is right and good for us-regardless of whether our wording annoys others. Sometimes, in a campaign, you must ruffle feathers to be noticed”. He gave his proposal to reform the EU’s carbon‑certificate trading system for industry as an example. “I know I will meet resistance from parts of the federal government, especially the SPD, but this reform is essential and good for our economy”.
