CDU leader warns against isolation amid AfD's rise

Sven Schulze, the Minister-President of Saxony-Anhalt, has issued a stark warning against political isolation, urging his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party to maintain its ability to engage with others. Speaking at the CDU state party conference, Schulze expressed concern that failure to remain "connectable" could lead to the region becoming an "island" that no one wants to engage with.

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We must remain connectable. I don't want my homeland, our homeland, your homeland to become an island, that nobody wants to have anything to do with us anymore.

Schulze stressed that the CDU's fundamental task is to bring people together, not to divide them. He advocated for Saxony-Anhalt to be "open to the world" while simultaneously addressing the state's challenges collaboratively. The Minister-President largely refrained from direct criticism of political rivals, instead focusing on the CDU's own ideas for the future and emphasizing the party's need to concentrate on its core issues.

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We have really good ideas for the future.

The CDU is preparing to adopt its election program for the upcoming state elections on September 6. Schulze has proposed reforms for schools, including the introduction of "practical learning days" to foster connections with businesses and increased economics education in high schools. Additionally, the party plans a significant administrative reform aimed at making the government "leaner, more effective, and faster."

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We must become leaner, more effective, faster.

However, the CDU faces a formidable challenge from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Recent polls show the CDU trailing significantly behind the AfD, with the latter polling at nearly 40 percent compared to the CDU's approximately 25 percent. Germany's domestic intelligence agency has classified the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt as a "securely right-wing extremist endeavor" since 2023. Despite this, speculation persists about potential cooperation between the CDU and AfD following the election, adding a layer of complexity to the political landscape.

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It was more confrontation, not fraternization.