Landtagswahl: Die Linke erklärt Kooperationsbereitschaft mit der CDU in Sachsen-Anhalt

In the lead-up to the Landtagswahl in Sachsen-Anhalt, CDU candidate Sven Schulze and AfD candidate Ulrich Siegmund engaged in a detailed debate. The event, organized by the "Mitteldeutscher Zeitung" and "Magdeburger Volksstimme," saw the two candidates facing each other side by side. Throughout the discussion, they repeatedly turned their attention towards each other.

Schulze's focus was on the economy, emphasizing the need to bring back migrant workers to Germany. He argued that the country should prioritize the development of its own workforce over importing labor, citing a shortage of skilled workers and a need for reduced bureaucracy. Siegmund countered that the focus should be on strengthening vocational training in schools and reducing bureaucracy.

On the education front, Siegmund proposed returning to a performance-based system for schools and implementing an obligatory recommendation for each child's educational path based on their performance. He also expressed concerns about violent incidents in some schools, stating that teachers are becoming increasingly desperate due to limited disciplinary options. Schulze, however, disagreed with Siegmund's suggestion of installing surveillance personnel with tear gas at school gates, calling it an "exaggerated satire."

Regarding finances, Siegmund claimed the AfD's fiscal plans for Sachsen-Anhalt could save 300 to 500 million euros, primarily through cuts in asylum and migration, subsidies, and unoccupied positions. Schulze, on the other hand, cautioned against promising unaffordable savings and suggested that the CDU could fill the financial gap by implementing cuts in areas such as childcare services and school meals. Schulze also questioned how he would expect the AfD to cover the costs of these promised reforms.