Morning Briefing Plus: Netflix und chillen? Schön wär’s

In the run-up to September 6th, Germany's focus shifts to Saxony-Anhalt. During the election campaign events, AfD's top candidate Ulrich Siegmund is celebrated like a pop star, while incumbent Sven Schulze of the CDU only manages about half the votes. This is not merely a person factor. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where a new Landtag is being elected on September 20th, AfD candidate Leif-Erik Holm achieves around 30% - a surprise considering the lack of media support.

This late summer's election campaign reveals a vital lesson: it's not the person who attracts the party, but the party that attracts the personnel. The CDU seems to follow this trend; they limit Chancellor Friedrich Merz's appearances to a minimum, focusing on supporting Schulze. Merz only visited Saxony-Anhalt twice to back Schulze.

Within the CDU, it's understood that Chancellor limits his schedule deliberately and avoids appearances on market squares. There's a reason for this: in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, he was greeted with cheers this week.