Election campaign in Thuringia: Mohring calls Höcke a "Nazi"

On Sunday, a new state parliament is elected in Thuringia. Shortly before the election, CDU lead candidate Mike Mohring has called his AfD counterparty Björn Höcke "Nazi". He said in many interviews that he would not enter into a coalition with the AfD in Thuringia, Mohring said in a panel discussion in Erfurt. "I think Höcke is a Nazi, and others have noticed that."

The AfD-leading candidate stamped this party and worry with the grouping "wings" for the radicalization of the AFD to the right, said the CDU candidate. "We will not work with them," emphasized Mohring at the "taz" event, where the AfD was not represented on the podium. (An interview with Mohring on the upcoming state elections can be read here.)

Difficult government formation is emerging

In Thuringia, a new state parliament is elected on Sunday. Already now a difficult government formation is emerging. This is shown by a recent survey by opinion polling institute Civey for SPIEGEL.

Accordingly, the left of Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow comes to around 30 percent. That would make her strongest. Behind them are AfD (23.2 percent) and CDU (22.9 percent) on par. The SPD continues to perform poorly and comes to only about eight percent, the Greens land at about seven percent.

Based on these figures, it is sufficient neither for a red-red-green majority, nor for the intended in Saxony and Brandenburg Kenya coalition of CDU, SPD and Greens. Even a so-called Zimbabwe Alliance of CDU, SPD, Greens and FDP has therefore no majority. The formation of a government would be a challenge. Mohring has excluded in advance both a coalition with the left and with the AfD. Possibly, Left Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow would be able to continue with a minority government on this basis.

Other predictions do not rate the election outcome quite so blatantly: The political barometer of the ZDF roughly classifies the CDU at 26 percent. Accordingly, the left would come to 27 percent, the SPD to nine percent, the AfD to 20 percent, the Greens to eight percent and the FDP to five percent. Thus, both the incumbent government from the Left, SPD and Greens would no longer have a majority. Even a government of CDU, SPD and Greens would have no parliamentary majority.

Overall, the polls show one thing: The formation of a government becomes difficult.