Kretschmer: A minority government in Magdeburg is likely

Saxony’s Minister-President Michael Kretschmer (CDU) believes a minority government is likely following the state election in Saxony-Anhalt. “As far as anyone can tell, it will be a minority government,” Kretschmer said during a public forum in Oranienbaum-Wörlitz (Wittenberg district). A new state parliament will be elected in Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday (September 6).

AfD Without an Absolute Majority, According to Poll

A recent Infratest-dimap poll commissioned by ARD puts the AfD at 42 percent and the CDU at 22 percent in Saxony-Anhalt. According to the poll, the SPD and the Greens are at 8 percent and 6 percent, respectively, and thus above the 5 percent threshold. With such an election result, the AfD would fall short of an absolute majority in the state legislature.

Kretschmer Points to Saxony

During his visit to Saxony-Anhalt, Kretschmer referred to his own experiences with a minority government in Saxony. There, the CDU politician has led a coalition government consisting of the CDU and the SPD since December 2024. Neither party holds a majority in the state legislature. The government is therefore reliant on the support of other parliamentary groups for individual initiatives.

The Minister President said he could also envision such a model for Saxony-Anhalt. After the election, he said, forming a government will depend on calmly and wisely discussing policy issues with the state legislators. “We need to talk to people about what matters to them and what they want to achieve,” he said.

Saxony-Anhalt’s Minister President Sven Schulze (CDU) has an advantage in this regard, Kretschmer said: He is “a bit calmer than I am.” That would likely be more beneficial to the cause. At the same time, Kretschmer emphasized that the strength of the CDU after the election would play an important role.

“We’ll talk to everyone”

Kretschmer advocated for maintaining dialogue with all political forces. “We talk to everyone,” he said. What matters, he explained, is the substance of the proposals, not who makes them. Kretschmer ruled out a government with The Left. However, that does not mean the parties cannot work together on specific issues.

The CDU politician was invited to the public dialogue titled “Germany Looks East” along with state parliament member and candidate for the Dessau-Roßlau district, Anja Schneider (CDU).