The frontman of the band "Die Prinzen", Sebastian Krumbiegel, is worried about the upcoming state elections in Saxony and Thuringia. "I think we'll be looking around. Something will happen here. Politically, there will be a jolt," said the musician in an interview with the German Press Agency. He does not expect an AfD politician to become prime minister, "but the AfD will be the strongest force - and that's a bit scary". The state elections will take place in both federal states on 1 September.
The fact that the party, which has been classified as far-right by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution in both Thuringia and Saxony, is winning many votes for itself is by no means an East German phenomenon, emphasized the Leipzig native. "Nevertheless, I sometimes think that those who lived in the GDR already lived in a very unique country. And now they are something of an inglorious avant-garde, forging a path for themselves." According to the 58-year-old, what is currently happening in the East will also happen with a time lag in the West German states.
Continuing to talk to AfD voters
He also wants to stay in touch with people who do not share his opinion, said Krumbiegel. In conversations, he always tries to "stay cool and listen first. I'm quite good at that now. But of course I also try to stand up to people. You don't usually manage to change people's minds." But that's not his goal either. "I want to express my opinion, articulate my fears and say that it's not good what's rolling towards us here."
Music to get involved
In recent weeks, Krumbiegel has repeatedly performed at political events in various places in Germany to campaign for democracy, as he says. "I don't want to be accused of standing on the sidelines and doing nothing."
He also wants to get involved in the political discourse with his new album "Aufstehen - Weitermachen!". In the song "Der Führer hätte sich gefreut", for example, he sings ironically about his experiences during a right-wing extremist march last year in Schleusingen, Thuringia. "People were walking through the night with black, white and red flags, torches and weird banners." The new album will be released on September 20.
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