Merz keeps distance on campaign trail ahead of key eastern German vote

Chancellor Friedrich Merz warns against voting for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in Saxony-Anhalt state government elections, emphasizing the importance of keeping Germany open and liberal.

Merz's campaign visits in Saxony-Anhalt have lacked direct contact with voters, with meetings limited to management, works council, and state officials, as he criticizes the AfD's stance on the European Union.

The AfD, ahead in the polls for the upcoming state parliament elections, has not explicitly called for withdrawal from the EU, despite Merz's concerns about the party's anti-EU sentiments.

During his second campaign visit to Saxony-Anhalt, Chancellor Friedrich Merz once again warned of the economic and social consequences of a potential state government run by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

"Anyone who wants Germany to remain an open and liberal country, and anyone who wants Saxony-Anhalt to remain an attractive location - including from a European perspective - must not vote for the AfD on Sunday," Merz said in the town of Leuna on Thursday during a joint visit to the UPM biorefinery with state Premier Sven Schulze.

As with Merz's first campaign appearance in Quedlinburg, there was no direct contact with voters - apart from a few refinery staff. Merz, who leads the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), met only the management and the works council.

State parliament elections are due to be held in Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday. In the polls, the AfD is well ahead and stands a chance of securing an absolute majority.

Merz made his first appearance on the campaign trail on Monday, just under a week before the election. Together with Schulze, he visited the latter's birthplace, Quedlinburg in the Harz Mountains, and met members of the state parliament and local officials.

There was no direct contact with voters there either. As in Leuna, only a joint statement in front of the cameras was planned, with no questions from the journalists present.

Merz criticizes the AfD's stance on the EU

In Leuna, Merz criticized in particular the AfD's stance on the European Union. "Anyone who, like the AfD, wants to leave the single market, leave Schengen and leave the European Union is fundamentally calling into question projects such as those being developed here behind us," he said. "And that is precisely what we want to prevent."

UPM has invested €1.3 billion ($1.5 billion) in Leuna to convert wood into basic chemicals.

The AfD is sceptical of the European Union, but did not explicitly call for withdrawal from the EU in its 2025 Bundestag election manifesto.

Merz has visited the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, which is also holding an election for its regional parliament later in the month, where he was booed and heckled by passers-by in Kühlungsborn on the Baltic coast. A statement in front of the cameras that had originally been planned was cancelled.