BSW launches Saxony-Anhalt election campaign with 'The East remains different' slogan and provocative posters

The political party BSW is entering the state election campaign in Saxony-Anhalt with a provocative strategy, centered around the slogan "The East remains different." The party aims to connect the regional election to a national vote of confidence in Chancellor Friedrich Merz of the CDU, with BSW federal chair Amira Mohamed Ali stating the election is "also a decision election for Friedrich Merz."

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This state election in Saxony-Anhalt is also a decision election for Friedrich Merz.

BSW's top candidate in Saxony-Anhalt, Thomas Schulze, emphasized the distinct identity of eastern Germany, suggesting that understanding the region requires having been born there. He highlighted feelings of being treated as second-class citizens, citing disparities in wages between East and West Germany and difficulties in paying for nursing homes.

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The East is different. Anyone who wants to understand the East must have been born in the East.

The campaign will feature around 10,000 posters, many using AI-generated images with a provocative and ironic tone. One poster shows Chancellor Merz as a struggling boxer, while another depicts U.S. President Donald Trump as a puppeteer. The party has allocated a budget of approximately 600,000 euros for its campaign.

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We want to be deliberately ironic and provocative in the campaign.

Key policy focuses for BSW include peace, opposition to mandatory military service, and securing lower energy prices. Regarding potential coalition building, BSW indicated that while some issues could be addressed with the AfD, cooperation would be limited. The party explicitly ruled out supporting an AfD state governor but suggested a preference for a non-partisan figure acceptable to all parliamentary parties.

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There are projects that can be initiated with the AfD.