Lower Thirds:

0:01	Michaela Küfner/ DW Chief Political Editor

0:12	Report by Michaela Küfner

0:40	Ulrich Siegmund (AfD)/ Lead Candidate, Saxony Anhalt

0:59	Sven Schulze (CDU)/ Lead Candidate, Saxony Anhalt

2:24	Sven Schulze (CDU)/ Lead Candidate, Saxony Anhalt

2:36	Ulrich Siegmund (AfD)/ Lead Candidate, Saxony Anhalt

Script: 

Aufsager Michaela

“What happens here in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt will determine how far the far-right AfD will get in coming to power in post- war Germany. ”

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Never has the far-right Alternative for Germany party been so far ahead in the polls as in these regional elections.

And never has a conservative CDU party candidate fought such an uphill battle.

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Aufsager

“This campaign has been fought mainly over three issues: migration, Russia and the growing feeling of being left behind, particularly in the Eastern part of the country."

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"Hol dir Dein Land zurück" - "Take your country back" - the well-known slogan of the populist right also resonates here:

+++O-Ton Ulrich Siegmund (AfD), Lead Candidate, Saxony Anhalt++++

„We don’t recognize our homeland anymore. There is completely unregulated migration here.”

„Wir kennen unsere eigene Heimat nicht mehr wieder Wir haben eine völlig ungeregelte Migration in diesem Land.“

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Saxony-Anhalt’s demographics already mean that more than a third of jobs can’t be filled. The current state premier warns that the AfD will make this problem worse.

Its program says it wants to “avoid the immigration of skilled laborers foreign to German culture.”

+++Sven Schulze (CDU), Lead Candidate, Saxony Anhalt ++++

„They create an environment where people who weren’t born here in Germany are no longer welcome in Saxony-Anhalt.

"sie sorgt dafür, dass Sachsen-Anhalt ein Land wird, wo Menschen, die nicht in Deutschland und Sachsen-Anhalt geboren sind, nicht willkommen sind."

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The fear of being dragged into Russia’s war against Ukraine also looms large in this campaign. The far-right AfD and smaller left-wing parties, reject any further aid.

+++ FRAU ++++

„No more weapons support.”

Nicht mit Waffen unterstützen.“

+++ Mann mit Hund +++

„It really was the fault of the West. But I detest that Russia is killing innocent people there.”

Eigentlich ist der Westen dran schuld aber was der Russe das macht, dass der da unschuldige Menschen umbringt, verachte ich.”

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And then there’s that feeling of being disenfranchised:

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Aufsager

“Here in the East, the contrasts in Germany’s opinion polls become tangible. While most Germans say their own personal situation is ok, the overall mood is pretty bad”.

+++Vox Pop Angelika Voigt mit Hut +++

„What worries me is that many feel left behind and forgotten, that’s the problem here.”

“Mir macht die situation der menschen sorge sie die sich verlassen fühlen und vergessen unsd abgehängt.“

Voxpop Marktfrau Magdeburg Speaker 2 [01:17:21 - 01:17:36] 

„Most worry about money, especially the pensioners.”

“Die Hauptthemen sind, ist die Sorge ums Geld. Die Rentner vor allem.“

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Wherever state premier Sven Schulze goes, people want to know about the central government’s pension reforms.

Schulze publicly questioned Chancellor Merz's reform plans - saying they ignore the realities of pensioners in the former East.

+++Schulze++

" The Pension issue in the East is not comparable to the West.”

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But after 24 years of Conservative-led rule in the state,

Aufsager Michaela [01:09:19 - 01:09:51]

there is a mood for change here on the streets of Magdeburg.

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The question now is whether people trust the incumbent leader to bring that change.

+++ Sven Schulze (CDU), Lead Candidate, Saxony Anhalt +++

Speaker 2 [00:41:13 - 00:41:55] 

„It’s not as though people here are saying that the AfD will do everything better. Rather, they're e saying that maybe it’s time for someone else to govern.”

“Es ist nicht so, dass die Menschen sagen die AfD macht das auf jeden Fall alles besser. Sondern die sagen ja, vielleicht sollten mal andere regieren.“

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The AfD candidate is confident that he can harness that momentum for change:

+++Ulrich Siegmund (AfD), Lead Candidate, Saxony Anhalt ++ HIVE Reporter Deutsch Zerbst

“We expect that we will write history either way – no matter how the election turns out. What would be the scenario if we narrowly fail to get an absolute majority? I am very curious how the conservatives think they'll govern here with the Left for the first time – it will tear the CDU apart.

“Wir erwarten, dass wir so oder so Geschichte schreiben– also egal wie diese Wahl ausgeht. Ich sag ja immer wieder, was ist denn das szenario, sollten wir knapp an dieser absoluten Mehrheit vorbeischrammen? da bin ich mal gespannt, wie die CDU und die Linke hier die zusammenarbeit planen, es wird die partei zerreissen natürlich.“

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Aufsager: Speaker 5 [01:10:56 - 01:11:25] 

Saxony-Anhalt turns into a political laboratory on September 6th: The sense is, that if the far right AfD can make it to power here, it can make it anywhere across Germany’s East but potentially also in the next general elections.