The regional leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Saxony-Anhalt, Sven Schulze, has acknowledged a clear defeat in the regional elections held this Sunday, describing the day as "a dark day" for his party after the victory of the far-right formation Alternative for Germany (AfD).
"Some say this is a sad day for the CDU. I say: but that is democracy," Schulze declared upon his arrival at the CDU event planned for election night, accepting the setback at the polls.
The leader recalled that "we often had tailwinds" in previous elections and, on this occasion, he specifically congratulated AfD for its triumph. In his appearance, he avoided clearly stating what the CDU's strategy will be in negotiating the formation of a new regional government.
Schulze partially blamed the political climate generated by the decisions of the federal government led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, also of the CDU, which he attributed significant weight in the outcome. At the same time, he emphasized the strong increase in voter turnout, which stood around 80%, about 20 points above that recorded five years ago.
"The people have sent a message and now we must face this message not only in Saxony-Anhalt (...). It is a defeat for us," he admitted, while describing the campaign as "extremely difficult and intense." "A campaign like this is unprecedented. I don't think it is like this in any other German state," he added, referring to the harshness of the electoral period.
From Berlin, the spokesperson for the federal parliamentary group of the CDU in the Bundestag, Thorsten Frei, stated that this is "a decisive moment" for Germany. "We have never been in a situation where a party classified as far-right by the domestic intelligence agency has achieved a majority," he noted, demanding "respect" for the verdict of the polls.
Frei defended the "necessary" reforms promoted by the CDU government at the federal level and reminded that both the Bundestag and the chancellor are elected for a four-year term. "Let's not draw false conclusions," he warned, rejecting interpretations that question the legitimacy of the current government.
For its part, the historic Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), government partner of the CDU at the federal level, has described the result in Saxony-Anhalt as "dramatic," according to its secretary general, Tim Kluessendorf. The social democratic leader has emphasized that the party has managed to maintain its electoral base, although he has admitted that "it is not a great success."
Kluessendorf has defended the need to articulate "a democratic majority" against AfD, although he has acknowledged that it will be "very, very difficult to form a government" in the new political scenario left by these regional elections.