Brandenburg’s AfD top candidate Hans-Christoph Berndt is hoping for partners in the event of an election victory despite the firewall of the other parties. “Then we will be the strongest force and talk to everyone,” the parliamentary group leader told RBB’s Radio Eins. “We can criticize them as harshly as we want – after the election we are ready to talk to everyone (…).” “Perhaps one or two people will be found who will form a coalition with us.”
Leading candidate rejects right-wing extremist classification
On September 22, a new state parliament will be elected in Brandenburg. The AfD was ahead in the latest polls. The Brandenburg Office for the Protection of the Constitution has classified the AfD state association as a suspected case of right-wing extremism – and Berndt, like five other state parliamentarians, as confirmed right-wing extremist. Berndt rejects this: “The Office for the Protection of the Constitution claims that I am right-wing extremist,” he said. “That is a purely arbitrary attribution that has nothing to do with our actions and nothing to do with our politics.”
If the government comes to power after the state elections, the Brandenburg AfD wants to start a massive deportation program and partially restructure the state. Last week, after the attack in Solingen that left three people dead, the AfD faction, which Berndt leads, called for a ban on people with asylum status, Ukrainian war refugees and foreigners who are required to leave the country to attend public events.
Berndt sees overlaps with CDU
The AfD’s top candidate sees particular overlaps between his party and the CDU – and also potential opportunities for openness at the grassroots level. “The CDU’s programmatic statements are relatively close to ours,” said Berndt. “I think there are many CDU members at the grassroots level who also say that we can’t form an anti-AfD alliance when we are so close in terms of content.” He believes that alliances with BSW, CDU and SPD against the AfD would not last five years. The CDU had decided that coalitions with the AfD were taboo. The Sahra Wagenknecht alliance also does not want a coalition with the AfD.
AfD top candidate: Berlin newcomers a problem
The AfD parliamentary group leader sees newcomers from Berlin as a reason for lower poll ratings in Brandenburg, as is the case with the AfD in Saxony or Thuringia. “We have a big problem that our colleagues don’t have – and that is Berlin,” said Berndt. “The situation in Berlin is now such that many Berliners are moving out to Brandenburg, but one or two are taking their green convictions with them. That’s why we have it a bit harder than the Saxons and Thuringians.”
Berndt sees another reason in comparison to the two states: the SPD’s strength since 1990. “In Brandenburg, the SPD has played a role like the CSU in Bavaria – and that’s where we have it a bit harder.”
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