"Krone" in Magdeburg

“Not everyone is a Nazi—they vote for the AfD out of frustration!”

An open but peaceful battle between the left and the right: Saxony-Anhalt faces a decisive election today.(Bild: Krone-Collage/Peter Tomschi, Franz Hollauf)

The far-right AfD party versus the rest: The eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt is facing a landmark state election today that could permanently reshape the political landscape of our neighbors. What are the citizens’ concerns and hopes? krone.at mingled with voters in the state capital, Magdeburg (see video above).

Domplatz, Saturday afternoon. Rainbow flags and Antifa banners are being waved. About 8,000 people (according to police estimates)—spanning all age groups—have gathered at the “Saxony-Anhalt Open to the World” rally, the largest in the state that day, to stand up for democracy and tolerance and against exclusion.

“We won’t budge a centimeter to the right”
On stage, well-known musicians like Kerstin Ott and Sebastian Krumbiegel from the band “Die Prinzen” are getting the crowd fired up. “I don’t think it’s right when tourists come here and say, ‘Let’s drive to the East and go watch the Nazis.’ Saxony-Anhalt has so much more to offer, and we have to defend that with everything we’ve got.” Ott echoes this sentiment: “We won’t budge a centimeter to the right.”

Photos from the anti-AfD rally:

Criticism of the established parties, the CDU and SPD
The unanimous opinion among the demonstrators: There must be no absolute AfD majority. “The AfD is a party that despises humanity.” Their appeal: “Vote tactically. The SPD and the Greens absolutely must get into the state parliament.”

There are many problems. But that’s still no reason to vote for the inhumane AfD.

Eine Demoteilnehmerin 

At the same time, however, criticism of the established parties, the CDU and SPD, is growing: “They’re doing a lot of things wrong. There are many problems; the federal government should have taken action against them much sooner—it often no longer listens to the people. But that’s still no reason to vote for the AfD.”

Problems in Rural Areas
Many left-leaning people also don’t buy into using the “Nazi” label against AfD voters. “They aren’t all Nazis; most of them vote for the AfD out of frustration,” emphasizes an elderly woman from Magdeburg. Above all, many people in rural areas feel left behind. “There’s a bus once a day; there’s no supermarket, no bakery, no butcher. And that frustrates people. That’s why they vote for the AfD—but that’s the wrong approach.”  

They’re not all Nazis; these people vote for the AfD out of frustration. But that shouldn’t be the case—it’s the wrong path.

Demoteilnehmerin über AfD-Wähler

“The mood is divided”
An attentive listener can certainly detect critical remarks directed at parties other than the AfD as well: “The mood is divided, but I don’t see us in the final battle against the Fourth Reich, as many protest participants are claiming.” In his view, the established parties are far too preoccupied with the AfD rather than with themselves. “I haven’t heard a single word on stage about economic problems; instead, gender issues are constantly being discussed. The established parties aren’t addressing the truly important issues, and that’s exactly what’s driving many people into the arms of the AfD, which right now just has to reel them in.” 

Opinion is divided, but I don’t see us in the final battle of the Fourth Reich, as many protest participants claim.

Ein Demoteilnehmer

Change of scene: At the AMO Kulturhaus—just 1.7 kilometers from Domplatz—the AfD—classified by Saxony-Anhalt’s Office for the Protection of the Constitution as a confirmed far-right extremist group—is hosting its closing rally. Many AfD supporters turn their backs on us, unwilling to give an interview. Others, however, are quite talkative and tell us about their fears, concerns, and hopes.

AfD supporter: “You can feel the change in the country”
“You can feel the change in the country; the mood among the people is palpable. The money’s all gone, we’re ruined; the only question is, will we keep falling, or will we find our way back to the normality we had in the 1990s and early 2000s,” says a man in a white T-shirt, “armed” with banners featuring AfD lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund and AfD federal chairwoman Alice Weidel.

Photos from the AfD’s final rally:

He is unfazed by his political opponents’ accusation that every AfD voter is a Nazi. “The AfD is the opposite of Nazi,” emphasizes a blue-shirted supporter from the region. He says he was politically left-wing in his youth, then became conservative. But former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s asylum policy led him to switch to the AfD.

The AfD is the opposite of Nazi.

Ein AfD-Sympathisant

Notably, many women are also attending the AfD event. One even traveled all the way from Berlin. “If someone had told me in the past that I held right-wing views, I would have been very outraged. If someone says that to me today, it doesn’t bother me anymore. I’m a person who thinks normally and isn’t a populist. I’m open to other people’s views—which others aren’t, as I noticed today at the Left Party rally on Domplatz.” 

If someone tells me today that I hold right-wing views, it doesn’t bother me anymore. I’m a person who thinks normally and isn’t a populist.

Eine Teilnehmerin der AfD-Wahlkampfveranstaltung

Migration as an Ongoing Issue
A 71-year-old man waving a German flag points to the immigration problem in Saxony-Anhalt. “I’m not against foreigners in principle; I have many acquaintances who are foreigners. Everyone knows the guy who sells kebabs, but anyone who engages in criminal behavior should leave this country. If I invite people into my home who can’t behave themselves, I kick them out.”

If I invite people into my home who can’t behave themselves, I kick them out.

Ein AfD-Sympathisant

“Division Runs Right Through Families”
At the same time, he admits that the political divide in Germany runs right through his own family. “Our children live in Hamburg; they’re just different. Politically, we’re on opposite sides. But I don’t want to influence anyone—everyone has to find their own path and form their own opinion.”

His hope for Election Sunday? “If the other parties band together, then even 43 percent for the AfD won’t be enough to form a government. The best-case scenario would therefore, of course, be an absolute majority.”

Siegmund Celebrated Like a Pop Star
Meanwhile, inside the cultural center, a huge line is forming—for selfies with AfD lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund. He’s also signing fan T-shirts. “My friend here is a huge fan of his,” says a young woman. She likes what the AfD wants to change in schools: “For kids with special needs, maybe they’ll get more help—meaning they’ll be separated from the others.” She knows this from her little brother. “He has conditions like ADHD, and he just distracts the other students.”

Police give a positive assessment: No clashes
While the AfD fan base continues to celebrate exuberantly into the late evening hours, things slowly quiet down among the rally participants at Domplatz around 9 p.m. The police, who were monitoring everything with a massive presence, gave a satisfied assessment: “We’re glad that everything went largely peacefully.”

That’s also the hope for Election Sunday. “We’re trying to ensure the conditions so that everyone can get to the polls safely—and return home safely after voting. How the election is assessed politically and socially is up to each individual to decide.”