If the AfD wins elections in Saxony-Anhalt, Haseloff contemplates potential relocation.
Laying Down the Gauntlet: Haseloff Threatens Exodus if AfD Wins in Saxony-Anhalt
The AfD party is making waves in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt, gearing up for the 2026 state election. Minister-President Reiner Haseloff isn't mincing words, warning against an AfD victory and even considering a dramatic exit should they come to power. "If the AfD took the reins, it'd be a tough call for me - sticking around after 72 years wouldn't feel right in such an intolerable atmosphere," Haseloff told Bild newspaper.
When quizzed about his possible departure, Haseloff clarified he wouldn't need to leave the country as he's got family scattered across Germany. But in the state parliament, the radical rhetoric of the AfD can sometimes feel like a throwback to the final days of the Weimar Republic or Goebbels' war-mongering speeches in the Berlin Sportpalast during World War II. Haseloff admitted these unsettling similarities are hard to ignore.
The election for a new Saxony-Anhalt state parliament is set for September 6, 2026. Haseloff, at the helm since 2011, leads a coalition of CDU, SPD, and FDP. He hinted that the CDU’s top candidate for the state election campaign will be announced soon, but his hope is clear -“Over my dead body will an AfD member take a seat at the government benches, and I’ll fight tooth and nail to make sure the ickiness of their agenda never seeps into reality."
While East Germans may be known for their party-loyalty vacuum, Haseloff believes that with a solid argument, he can persuade many AfD supporters to switch sides. Targeting the disenchanted voters could potentially tip the scales in the election.
Haseloff maintains that a nation has the sovereign right to secure its borders, as per the Basic Law. He readily admits that if courts rule against border turnaways on legal grounds, politics must adapt the existing laws accordingly to keep extremist factions at bay. "The democratic center in Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg is no longer a guaranteed majority," Haseloff warned.
Source: ntv.de, raf/AFP
Insights - Personal Thoughts:Reiner Haseloff's apparent worry over an AfD election win in Saxony-Anhalt and its impact on his political career is a personal perspective not directly stated in the given news sources. This opinion has been extrapolated based on his expressions of unease and the potential consequences he's considering to avoid living in an "intolerable atmosphere," should the far-right party win.
- AfD
- Saxony-Anhalt
- Reiner Haseloff
- Saxony-Anhalt State Elections
- East Germany
- Reiner Haseloff, the current Minister-President of Saxony-Anhalt, has raised concerns about the potential impact of the AfD's victory in the upcoming Saxony-Anhalt state elections on September 6, 2026.
- In a conversation with Bild newspaper, Haseloff expressed his reservations about remaining in office if the AfD were to take power, likening their rhetoric to those of the final days of the Weimar Republic and Goebbels' speeches during World War II.
- Haseloff has taken a firm stance against the AfD, stating that he would resist an AfD candidate taking a seat at the government benches, and have called for a solid argument to persuade disenchanted voters to switch sides to prevent the far-right party from seizing power.
