State elections: “We have always said that we cannot work with Höcke”

Thuringia's CDU leader Mario Voigt sees the forecasts for the outcome of the state election as a mandate for the Christian Democrats to form a government. “We as the CDU also see this as an opportunity for political change under the leadership of the CDU,” said the 47-year-old in Erfurt. CDU came in second behind the AfD, according to the 6 p.m. figures from ARD and ZDF.

CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann Has ruled out that the CDU is involved Thuringia or Saxony forms coalitions with the AfD. “We are very, very clear about that,” he said on ARD. The CDU will now form governments from the middle of parliament, he said. He is optimistic that this will be successful.

Saxony's Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer After the possible narrow election victory of his CDU, he sees the basis for coalition negotiations on a “stable government”. “It will not be easy, but it could be possible to give Saxony a stable government,” Kretschmer told CDU supporters in Dresden. “The people here in Saxony trusted us – they did not vote in protest.” His party is ready to continue to take on responsibility. However, Kretschmer left it open with whom he would seek a coalition. Kretschmer said that in the upcoming coalition negotiations, the CDU's first coalition agreement would be made with the state and the people – “and then nothing will happen for quite a while.”

Höcke wants firewalls to fall

Thuringia's AfD top candidate Björn Höcke was “overjoyed” about the election result. He described the success of his party in the state election as a “historic victory”. He was “proud of his country” and the hundreds of helpers in the election campaign. He pleaded on ARD that the firewall of the other parties should fall. The will of the Thuringians must now be followed. Changes will only be possible with the AfD give.

When asked who he wanted to govern with, he said that it was parliamentary tradition in Germany that the strongest party invited people to coalition talks. The AfD would decide next week who it would talk to. The BSW is certainly an important discussion partner.

The AfD co-federal chairman Tino Chrupalla
derives its claim to government participation from the results of the state elections. “The will of the voters is that there should be a change in policy here – in Saxony as well as in Thuringia,” Chrupalla said on ZDF. There is a clear mandate to govern in Thuringia. The AfD hopes to support the CDU in the State election to overtake in Saxony in the end. Party boss Jörg Urban Said he was hoping for a “miracle”.

Wagenknecht hopes to participate in government

BSW founder Sahra Wagenknecht has ruled out cooperation with the Thuringian AfD under Björn Höcke. “Höcke represents a nationalistic worldview that is miles away from us,” said Wagenknecht in the ARD“We have always said that we cannot work with Mr Höcke.” At the same time, Wagenknecht
that the BSW could approve individual proposals by the AfD in the state parliament if they share the contents.

They hope that the BSW can form a good government in Thuringia together with the CDU and, according to current figures, also with the SPD, said Wagenknecht.

Die Thuringian BSW top candidate Katja Wolf
describes her party's performance as a “special historical moment”. The party, which was founded in Thuringia just five months ago, is entering the state parliament with a historic result, she said after the first forecasts for the election outcome were announced. “I have goosebumps experiencing this moment,” Wolf continued. They feel “gratitude towards everyone who made this possible.”

Thuringia's Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (Left) After the state elections in Thuringia, despite the AfD's clear lead, the government mandate goes to CDU top candidate Mario Voigt. Whoever from the democratic spectrum “has the most votes must start the talks, must invite,” Ramelow told ARD. Ramelow stressed that he had not fought against the CDU or the Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) alliance in the election campaign, but against the AfD. “I am fighting against the normalization of fascism,” said the Prime Minister. For him personally, this election is “not the end of my political career.” Nevertheless, Ramelow admitted his defeat

SPD sees “no reason to celebrate”

SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert has admitted that his party's results in the elections in Thuringia and Saxony were mediocre. It was “not a night to celebrate for the SPD,” he said on ARD. At the same time, his party has not had an easy time for years. “There was a real danger of being thrown out of the state parliaments,” said Kühnert. “Fighting is worth it, we are needed.” And: “We have to fight to regain more strength.”

A lot of things need to be changed, said Kühnert, and he said: explain more and listen to voters. When asked to Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), he said: “We have to explain our policies together.”

Greens want to “defend democracy”

Green Party leader Omid Nouripour After the state elections in Saxony and Thuringia, he described it as a “turning point” that initial projections show that the AfD “has now become the strongest force in Thuringia, an openly right-wing extremist party”. He sees and hears many people “who are simply afraid now,” said Nouripour on ZDF, listing people from the cultural sector, people with a migrant background and people who go to Christopher Street Day (CSD).

It is time to “stand by these people and make it clear that we stand together and will defend our democracy,” said Nouripour. The Greens missed the first projections in Thuringia due to their return to the state parliament, and in Saxony they still have to worry about overcoming the five percent hurdle.

We also provide information about the latest developments in the state elections in Thuringia and Saxony in our live blogs.