The heads of government of the eastern German states have drawn the attention of Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) to the dissatisfaction in this part of Germany. "We have made it clear to the Chancellor that there is a lot of discontent in the East and that the mood must improve," explained Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Minister President Manuela Schwesig (SPD) after the first meeting between the East German Minister Presidents and Merz at Ettersburg Castle in Thuringia.
"It's about perception, it's about respect and it's about the fact that the East must continue to be supported in its economic development," Schwesig stated.
A new state parliament will be elected in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in a year's time. An election poll commissioned by NDR and published on Thursday puts the AfD in first place with 38 percent. Schwesig's SPD only achieved 19 percent in the survey, with the CDU at 13 percent.
