Merz shields campaign visits in Saxony-Anhalt as AfD leads polls ahead of state vote
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz restricted his campaign in Saxony-Anhalt to two closed-door events in Leuna and Quedlinburg, warning of economic disruption as polls project an AfD lead ahead of Sunday's state election.
Shielded campaign appearances in Quedlinburg and Leuna
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz concluded a limited campaign tour in Saxony-Anhalt ahead of Sunday's state election, avoiding public rallies and open town squares. Merz made only two appearances in the state alongside Minister-President Sven Schulze, both conducted behind closed doors with tight security. On Monday, Merz visited Schulze's birthplace in Quedlinburg, holding discussions with local lawmakers and church officials at the collegiate church without opening the floor to voter questions. On Thursday evening, the chancellor toured the Leuna chemical park under police sniper surveillance deployed against potential drone threats. Opposition politicians criticized the controlled format, with Green Party co-leader Felix Banaszak calling it a campaign without voters. In previous visits to eastern states such as Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Merz faced hostile demonstrations, where protesters shouted insults and disrupted planned statements.
Economic warnings at the Leuna chemical park
At the Leuna industrial site, Merz addressed business leaders alongside Schulze, focusing on the economic risks associated with Alternative for Germany (AfD). The chancellor visited the UPM biorefinery, a 1.3 billion euro facility built by the Finnish forest-industry company that employs 220 people converting wood into chemical raw materials. Merz stated that an AfD administration seeking to withdraw Germany from the European Union, Schengen, and the single market would halt foreign capital inflows. He connected European integration to global trade pressures, citing US tariff threats and trade imbalances with China. Behind closed doors, Merz remarked that Saxony-Anhalt must not become a testing ground for enraged citizens.
Anyone who wants Germany to remain an open and liberal country, and who wants Saxony-Anhalt to remain an attractive, also European business location, must not vote for the AfD on Sunday.
Coalition dilemmas and minority government scenarios
The election comes as the AfD leads polling across Saxony-Anhalt by wide margins, with projections suggesting the party could vie for an absolute majority. Schulze and the CDU have campaigned heavily on economic stability, pointing out that over the past two decades the state's growth lagged behind every federal state except Saarland. If the AfD fails to secure a single-party majority, the CDU faces acute coalition difficulties. Schulze could attempt to form a minority administration supported by Die Linke, putting state governance ahead of federal CDU resolutions that forbid cooperation with both the far left and the far right. Die Linke's parliamentary standing rebounded over the past 18 months, following prominent speeches by Bundestag group leader Heidi Reichinnek after a January 2025 vote in which Merz relied on AfD votes.
- CDU relies on AfD votes in a Bundestag ballot, prompting a nationwide profiling campaign by Die Linke
- Friedrich Merz meets local officials in Quedlinburg during his first Saxony-Anhalt campaign stop
- Merz and Sven Schulze visit the 1.3 billion euro UPM biorefinery in Leuna Chemical Park
- Saxony-Anhalt voters cast ballots in the state parliamentary election
- Regional state elections take place in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Leadership tensions within the federal CDU
Merz's federal position after 16 months in office has generated internal party debate, with approval ratings making him the least popular chancellor on record. With further state elections scheduled for 20 September in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, conservative lawmakers have begun discussing the possibility of a chancellor swap if the regional ballots deliver severe defeats. Julian Schache, a CDU politician from Magdeburg, noted the growing internal pressure.
Given the dissatisfaction, the poll numbers and the fact that there are additional elections coming up next year... the pressure for fundamental change will naturally increase. I could certainly imagine that some will push for Friedrich Merz to step down. But whether that's the solution remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, some regional CDU legislators, including Alexander Räuscher, argued that an AfD-led state government under lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund would quickly collapse under unfulfilled pledges, eventually enabling a conservative recovery from the opposition benches.
On the day Siegmund becomes premier, he's finished. That's my speculation. He'll fail as state premier. He won't be able to fulfill all the promises he's made.
