The Prime Minister of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff (CDU), has clearly spoken out against a ban on the AfD.

The party has long been a popular party in "large parts of the East," Haseloff told the "Tagesspiegel" (Friday edition). He warned of a possible "solidarity effect" in a ban process: "Imagine the group were to enter a state government during the ongoing ban process—however it might turn out. Should we then ban governments?" If the party ever achieves an absolute majority, it will first do so in Saxony-Anhalt, Haseloff had already stated in the past.

Precisely for this reason, he feels a responsibility as the incumbent to ensure that this doesn't happen, the Prime Minister told the Tagesspiegel newspaper. "With good politics, we can win their votes back." In this context, Haseloff criticized the new federal government for its adherence to climate targets. "The goal of climate neutrality by 2045, which we have imposed on ourselves, is, in my view, hardly sustainable," he said. The "Green Deal" must be "thoroughly revised." Climate protection "must not be economic suicide," Haseloff demanded, and the storage levy must be a thing of the past this summer. Regarding the question of a possible weakening of the CDU's relationship with the Left Party, the CDU politician advocated "pragmatism" in matters of procedural rules. At the same time, Haseloff sees no reason to revise the CDU's general decision to distance itself. "The Left wants to overcome this republic along with capitalism. Or look at the controversial definition of anti-Semitism. I don't want a normal relationship with such a party," said the Minister-President of Saxony-Anhalt.