Saxon election committee admits numerous parties to state parliament elections

The Saxon election committee cleared the way for numerous parties to run in the state elections on Friday. At its first public meeting on Friday, the committee decided who may submit election proposals, i.e. lists and direct candidates, for the vote on September 1. This initially applies to all parties represented in the Bundestag and in parliaments: CDU, SPD, Greens, Left Party, FDP, AfD and Free Voters. There are also 44 parties and political associations that were recognized by the Federal Election Committee at the last Bundestag election in 2021. The Saxon committee also had to decide on nine further notifications of participation, six of which were recognized. They concern the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), the far-right Free Saxons, the Action Party for Animal Protection, the Alliance Germany, Team Zastrow - Alliance Saxony 24 and the Values Union.

A total of 13 parties and political associations submitted notifications of participation. Four of them had already been recognized by the Federal Election Committee, including the Party for School Medical Rejuvenation Research. The Communist Party of Germany (KPD) with 165 members was not included for formal reasons. The same applies to the "Socially Committed Capitalists". They were not recognized as a party within the meaning of the Saxon Electoral Law. The Christian European Union People's Party (CEUVP) withdrew its notification of participation with reference to the war in Ukraine. At the time of the state election, Germany was already a party at war, the CEUVP suspected.

The state election committee must decide no later than 72 days before the election which parties may submit proposals for lists and direct candidates. The quality of the advertisements varied greatly - from one-liners by email to extensive documentation, reported Thomas Wolf, office manager of state election director Martin Richter. This had led to different levels of support. Political associations that had not been continuously represented in the state parliament, Bundestag or another state parliament on the basis of their own nominations since the last election had to report their participation - 13 made use of this in Saxony, some only shortly before the deadline on June 3.