Saxony-Anhalt’s restless Greens and hesitant CDU

At a CDU summer festival in Saxony-Anhalt, a stuntman shot into the air above the Goitzschesee on two powerful jets of water. Colored LEDs flashed across his protective suit and sparks flew in every direction. The spectacle drew attention, but it soon left guests asking what, exactly, the political message was.

The event took place in late August in Bitterfeld-Wolfen, where invited guests ate and drank alongside CDU lead candidate Sven Schulze. The questions beneath the entertainment were more serious: Were the state’s economic figures supposed to rise like the performer? Or were the CDU’s polling numbers for the coming state election expected to do so?

The uncertainty at the CDU gathering reflects the broader campaign described in the article. The AfD, Greens and Left have dominated both the streets and social media. The CDU and SPD, by contrast, have preferred to retreat into a more defensive posture.

The campaign balance raises two central questions: why the AfD has come to dominate the contest so clearly, and whether the SPD and Greens can still prevent it from governing alone. The article assesses how the parties have performed as the election approaches.