{
  "id": 3166054,
  "title": "Reint Gropp: IWH President warns of an AfD government: \"The economy in Saxony-Anhalt would shrink\"",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/reint-gropp-iwh-prasident-warnt-vor-afd-regierung-die-wirtschaft-in",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-25T01:58:50.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/reint-gropp-die-wirtschaft-in-sachsen-anhalt-wuerde-schrumpfen/100248361.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "Reint Gropp, president of the Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH), warns that a potential AfD government in Saxony-Anhalt could threaten academic freedom. The AfD's plans to abolish Bachelor's and Master's degrees, for example, could deter international students and hinder the state's efforts to attract young, well-educated individuals. Gropp also expresses concerns that the AfD could use funding to influence research and suppress certain fields, such as climate research and gender studies, which the party considers \"overflüssig\" (superfluous). The IWH, which relies partially on state funding, could be vulnerable to such pressures.",
  "summary": "The president of the Halle Economic Research Institute fears massive consequences for the economy in Saxony-Anhalt if the AfD were to govern - and even more so for science.",
  "key_points": [
    "AfD government could change Saxon-Anhalt fundamentally after September 6th election",
    "Gropp urges strengthening university funding over control to preserve scientific excellence"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Eine mögliche AfD-Regierung in Sachsen-Anhalt würde laut Reint Gropp die Wissenschaft und Forschung im Land durch Eingriffe in Studiengänge und Forschungsthemen sowie durch geplante Änderungen im Bildungssystem gefährden.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}