Before the election in Saxony-Anhalt: A coffee with Mr. Siegmund? That's how the MDR election arena ran

Just under four weeks before the state election in Saxony-Anhalt, the top candidates of the parties faced a broad range of citizen questions in a television debate - from education to gas supply and migration to war and peace.

The MDR live broadcast "Fakt ist! Wahlarena" with 50 interested citizens focused on many concerns about the state of democracy, the division of society and the future role of the AfD, which is far ahead in polls with over 40 percent.

The firewall - the handling of the AfD by the remaining parties was a major topic for the voters in the studio.

Silvio from the audience counted the AfD as part of the civil center; he asked CDU Prime Minister Sven Schulze what the firewall was for.

The head of government said he did not use the term firewall.

"I have no intention of working with the AfD here," he said.

However, he wanted to talk to AfD voters, Schulze said.

A man in a blue shirt was outraged that over 40 percent of voters were excluded.

CDU and SPD were no longer eligible for him for this reason, he raged.

SPD top candidate Armin Willingmann countered: "The question of how to deal with the AfD is a question of attitude."

The Left Eva von Angern warned not to fall for the AfD's "victim myth".

She experienced a lot of fear at election campaign stands.

AfD top candidate Ulrich Siegmund, on the other hand, said he experienced "a lot of enthusiasm" and positive reactions.

The first 15 minutes were already over.

Education - obviously, education and the handling of disabled children in schools also worried voters.

A teacher from Wernigerode asked Siegmund how the abolition of compulsory schooling desired by the AfD and its replacement with an education requirement would ensure equal opportunities.

Siegmund said learning at home could help children who experienced extreme bullying at school.

All in all, there were only about 30 families in Saxony-Anhalt for whom this was an option.

The German compulsory attendance requirement in schools was internationally unique.

FDP candidate Lydia Hüskens advocated for maintaining compulsory schooling, which was also supported by all other parties.

Universities and possible contracts with the armaments industry were also a topic.

BSW candidate Claudia Wittig used the opportunity to warn of the dangers of supporting Ukraine in the war against Russia.

"We are actively inviting a war into our home by using civilian infrastructure for military purposes, for example," Wittig said.

She also spoke of underfunding of universities.

This tempted SPD candidate Willingmann to respond: "Excuse me, that's just plain nonsense."

The university funding in Saxony-Anhalt was very solid.

Polarization - how can society overcome polarization?

This question also concerned a woman in the studio audience.

Siegmund was conciliatory and said: "Let's talk to each other calmly."

He accused the Left von Angern standing next to him of not even wanting to have a cup of coffee with him.

Von Angern confirmed this and repeatedly called Siegmund's statements "nonsense", also when the AfD man said:

"The door is open and the hand is outstretched."

Siegmund also offered to have a cup of coffee with a man who had immigrated from Syria.

The man said he was worried that the AfD wanted to abolish democracy in Saxony-Anhalt.

Remigration, political purges, that was "the best recipe for a dictatorship", the young man said, recalling his former homeland.

"We want exactly the opposite," Siegmund assured, who probably received the most questions and speaking time overall.

The candidates of the other parties repeatedly accused him of presenting the AfD program too softly - and disparaging the state.

Greens candidate Susan Sziborra-Seidlitz delivered an emotional eulogy to her federal state.

Saxony-Anhalt was "full of wonderful people", there was a lot of volunteering.

"And all these people, the entire civil society in this country, who make this country so wonderful, are currently worried because they are afraid of an AfD government," she said.

The election campaign is on.

In the latest poll by the opinion research institute Pollytix on behalf of the organization Campact, the AfD came to 43 percent of the votes, the CDU to 23 percent.

The Left followed with 13 percent, SPD with 7 and Greens with 5 percent.

BSW (4) and FDP (2) would not be represented in parliament according to this.

Generally, polls are associated with uncertainties.

The margins of error are statistically conditioned to be so high that the measurement is not exact.

Moreover, polls are not forecasts.

Before the state election on September 6, the top candidates of the parties will meet again in discussion groups of several media outlets.