Appeal: Vote for social cohesion

Ahead of the state elections in eastern Germany, the presidents of the state parliaments of Thuringia and Brandenburg and the speaker of the Saxon parliament are calling on voters to use their right to vote for social cohesion. "The question is whether our states are strengthening cohesion - or whether they are losing their future viability due to the strengthening of extremist forces," reads a joint statement by Birgit Pommer (Thuringia), Ulrike Liedtke (Brandenburg) and Matthias Rößler (Saxony). "And it is about protecting liberal democracy, which is what makes a peaceful search for answers to the great challenges of our time possible in the first place."

Elections on September 1 and 22

A new state parliament will be elected in Thuringia and Saxony on September 1. In Brandenburg, voters will vote on the future composition of their state parliament on 22 September.

"A lot is at stake in this year's elections," emphasized Liedtke. The positive development of the eastern German states is based on peaceful coexistence and the commitment of many people to cohesion.

"Democracy means helping to shape things," explained Pommer. "It cannot be taken for granted and was achieved peacefully in 1989." Discussions, demonstrations and protests are all part of a living democracy, said Rößler. "But decisions are ultimately made in parliament. And who sits there is decided by the citizens in free elections." The people of East Germany fought for this in the peaceful revolution of 1989.