Germany: Olaf Scholz visits Saxony, a stronghold of the far right
February 29, 2024
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for more cohesion in society during a visit to Dresden on Thursday. The German leader’s trip was being closely monitored ahead of September’s state elections in Saxony, which threaten to produce what could be the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party’s best result in a key election.
Scholz was scheduled to hold a town hall-style meeting with the public Thursday night, but began his trip to the city by visiting two employers in the area.
“Economic booms are successful in a country that remains united and does not allow itself to be divided,” said Scholz at EFW headquarters (Elbe Flugzeugwerken or Elbe aircraft factories). “That’s why it’s really important that we also fight those who want to tear our country apart.”
Focus on the skills gap and migrant labor
Scholz spoke, among other things, of the difficulties in finding qualified labor in a large part of Germany, especially in the former communist east of the country, which suffered for years from the effects of the so-called “brain drain” after reunification.
He said the country needed well-qualified workers and that it was crucial that employers like EFW offered good training and perspectives to employees. The success of the company, which specializes in repurposing used Airbus passenger planes as cargo planes and employs around 2,200 people from 30 different countries, would depend on it, he said.
“Germany’s economic growth over the last 10 years has been markedly boosted by many people coming to help here, and this will also continue to be important in the future,” said Scholz.
EFW CEO Jordi Boto said an open society was crucial to the company’s business model.
“We depend on the people who come to us,” said Boto. “They should find a home here with their families.”
Scholz also visited a watchmaking factory Nomos Glashütte. The small town of Glashütte, near Dresden, capital of the state of Saxony, is known as the birthplace of the German watchmaking industry.
He noted the reformed laws on skilled labor migration that his coalition had introduced and said they should soon facilitate simpler international recruitment.
AfD polls strong in eastern stronghold
Voters in Saxony will be asked to vote on three different ballots this year. And if recent opinion polls are anything to go by, around one in three currently plan to support the AfD.
Probably the most significant vote is the furthest away: the state parliament elections on September 1st. A February poll of voting intentions conducted by Infratest dimap, using a mix of just over 1,000 telephone and online participants, projected AfD support of 35% if the vote was scheduled for the following weekend. This would make the far-right populists the single largest party in parliament.
In the 2019 state vote in Saxony, the AfD won 27.5% of the vote and emerged as the second largest party.
The state will also take part in this summer’s European Parliament elections – often a happy hunting ground for extremist parties, given the tendency for weaker turnout than in national or local elections – and will hold municipal elections in conjunction with that vote. , on June 9th. .
The chancellor was scheduled to hold one of his so-called “citizen dialogues,” which are somewhat comparable to a town hall event in the U.S. in terms of format, later on Thursday evening. Right-wing groups in the area expressed their intention to protest the meeting.
Source: DW
Lori Barajas is an accomplished journalist, known for her insightful and thought-provoking writing on economy. She currently works as a writer at 247 news reel. With a passion for understanding the economy, Lori’s writing delves deep into the financial issues that matter most, providing readers with a unique perspective on current events.