The AfD is hoping to overtake the CDU in the state elections in Saxony after all. Party leader Jörg Urban said he was hoping for a "blue miracle" - alluding to a well-known Dresden landmark, the Blaues Wunder bridge over the Elbe. According to initial forecasts, the AfD was only just behind the CDU. At the same time, Urban hoped that the Greens would still miss out on re-entering the state parliament.
According to the projections, Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer's CDU achieved 31.6 to 31.9 percent, while the AfD came in at 30.2 to 31.3 percent. The BSW achieves 11.6 to 12.0 percent. The SPD lands at 7.8 to 8.4 percent. The Greens are on the fence with 5.2 to 5.4 percent. With 4.0 to 4.5 percent, the Left Party is just as unlikely to enter the state parliament as the FDP, which was no longer included in the projections.
Narrow gap to the CDU
AfD federal chairman Tino Chrupalla had always set 35% plus X as the target for the election. The AfD fell well short of this mark.
However, Chrupalla spoke of a "very good result" in Saxony and a "sensational result" in Thuringia. "One thing is very clear: the will of the voters is that there should be a change of policy here - in Saxony as well as in Thuringia." The AfD is ready to talk to all parties. The will of the voters must be accepted and there is a clear mandate to govern in Thuringia.
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