Sachsen-Anhalt: „Sich auf's Sofa setzen und meckern, das kann jeder!“

In Barleben, a town in Saxony-Anhalt, a group of men in grey suits gathered around a glass box displaying a model of a plant. Among them was Sven Schulze, the Minister President of Saxony-Anhalt, who was also present at the Salutas Pharma site. Notably, Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) had come to the location as well. While the group was posed for a photo, Grit Müller, wearing a blue suit jacket and white shoes, seized the opportunity to engage in conversation with the Chancellor.

As the Site Manager and Chief of Salutas Pharma, a subsidiary of Hexal within the Swiss pharmaceutical company Sandoz, Müller used the proximity to Merz to explain the hexagonal structure of the facility, which was built by the Hexal founders after German reunification on the outskirts of Barleben. She also reported on the successful growth of the plant and shared that Salutas is one of the largest employers in Saxony-Anhalt.

Located within the Technologiepark Ostfalen, the company encompasses 170 companies and approximately 5,200 jobs, with 1,400 employees working directly at Salutas. This significant workforce likely contributed to Merz's visit, as he expressed his surprise by saying, "That's huge!" Beyond the size of the operation, Barleben's position in Saxony-Anhalt, which could potentially be the strongest party in the September 6th Landtag election, was another important topic for Müller. However, she had another mission in mind.