The former long-serving Minister President of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff (CDU), criticized the federal government for taking shared responsibility regarding the rise of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) during the state elections. Speaking to the newspaper “Die Zeit”, Haseloff claimed that “essentially, a suicide of a political nature is underway” within the recent federal administrations.
Haseloff stressed that the way politics is practiced must change, noting that communication with entire demographic groups has been lost. During his 15 years in office, he held the record as the longest-serving Minister President in Germany. The 72-year-old told “Die Zeit” that it must be acknowledged that significant parts of Germany have changed for the worse. He stated, “The true state is the people, who are the sovereign, and they say: We will not let you get away with this.”
Furthermore, Haseloff criticized the tendency of the public debate to focus solely on the AfD. He pointed out that Sahra Wagenknecht’s BSW party offers itself as facilitators for the AfD. Looking ahead to the 2024 European Elections and the 2025 federal elections, Haseloff remarked that if one aggregates the parties aiming to fundamentally dismantle the Federal Republic’s system, they are already witnessing the third election in which this political bloc has gained a majority in Saxony-Anhalt. Had it been worth mentioning, Haseloff had handed over his office to Sven Schulze (CDU) in 2025.
