The Leipzig-based psychologist and social researcher Oliver Decker attributes the AfD's current high approval ratings in eastern Germany to resentment among the population. "The AfD is currently benefiting greatly from resentment. These are very pronounced in the population. There is resentment, a feeling of being treated unfairly," said the professor in an interview with Deutsche Presse-Agentur. This phenomenon has been observed for some time now. At the moment, it is decisive for the election.
According to Decker, the other parties do not have too much influence on this. The opportunities to tilt the mood are limited. Voters make their decisions based on what is most important to them at the moment. In the past, this used to be education policy, the environment or economic policy. The wind will probably only change when issues emerge that are more relevant to voters than resentment. "For example, when a natural disaster requires skills that the AfD definitely does not have."
According to Decker - Director of the Else-Frenkel-Brunswik Institute for Democracy Research at the University of Leipzig - the current situation for the CDU in Saxony is confusing. The party landscape has become increasingly differentiated. Even before the European elections, it had become clear in surveys that there were a whole series of small parties that did not make it over the five percent hurdle, but still had a significant share of the vote overall and were therefore drawing votes away. According to the usual counting procedure, this could mean that a party could win a majority of parliamentary seats even with 40 percent.
