Stefan Evers, the CDU’s top candidate for the Berlin House of Representatives election, made it clear that the election result in Saxony-Anhalt should not be interpreted as a threatening template for the Berlin vote. Speaking to the news channel “Welt,” Evers stated, “Berlin is not Saxony-Anhalt. All surveys indicate that this is a head-to-head race between a radicalized Left and the CDU.” However, he also noted the strong showings of the AfD in polls, suggesting that political actors are pressured from both extremes. In this highly polarized environment, he believes candidates must clearly define their positions and distinguish themselves, emphasizing why the CDU should stand as the city of freedom against the involvement of extremists in politics.
Evers strongly criticized the Left party in Berlin, describing them as representing anti-Semitism and mass expropriation. “We, as the CDU, are the bulwark against every form of extremism here in Berlin, where others are blind on one eye,” he asserted.
When discussing Saxony-Anhalt, Evers placed much of the problem at a federal level. He lamented that the turmoil of recent months could have been avoided. He added that Berlin is accustomed to resolving disputes behind the scenes before presenting unified results, and he believes that seeing the federal government exert some momentum and renew its sense of collective responsibility would be beneficial.
Drawing on his own experience in government, Evers stressed that the states and municipalities desperately need reforms. He noted that as a state and a city, they are no longer able to adequately cover the urgently required expenses needed to renovate police stations, schools, and roads-a fact he pointed out is increasingly noticeable. He argues for a significant push forward, insisting that the social systems require profound reforms to prevent exploding social costs from becoming overwhelming. Simultaneously, he called for a genuine offensive to relieve the burden on the German economy.
