Thuringia's CDU leader Voigt was open to another TV duel against AfD top candidate Björn Höcke. He looks positively on the first duel.
Update from April 12th, 11:15 a.m.:
The TV duel between the top candidates from the CDU and AfD on Thursday evening for the upcoming state election in Thuringia could be continued. Mario Voigt (CDU) did not rule out another duel with AfD right winger Björn Höcke on Friday. “I'm not aiming for anything at first, but we're not avoiding any debate,” said the chairman of the Thuringia CDU to the
dpa
.
The pressure was great, but the decision to fight was the right one. “It made the differences clear, for example in economic policy and migration,” said Voigt. Democracy needs debate. There will always be arguments during the election campaign. “On September 2nd, I don’t want to stand there and have to ask myself the question: Haven’t you tried everything?” In the first argument, which was broadcast on the Welt TV channel, Höcke seemed “unsteady and shaky,” said the CDU -Man further.
Despite criticism of the TV duel in Thuringia: the majority of Germans believe the broadcast is correct
First report from April 11th:
Berlin - Explosive appearance on TV: Almost five months before the state elections in Thuringia, CDU top candidate Mario Voigt and AfD right winger Björn Höcke will meet on Thursday (April 11th) for a television duel. The transmission is partly criticized. It is feared that the right-wing AfD regional association will be given too big a stage. But a majority of Germans seem to see this differently.
Almost two thirds of Germans think it is right that the Thuringian CDU politician Voigt wants to seek a confrontation with AfD leading candidate Björn Höcke. This emerges from a
Civey survey published by
Focus Online
. 68.9 percent of those surveyed consider Voigt's approach to be “clearly” or “somewhat right”, while only 21.6 percent consider it “somewhat” or “clearly wrong”. However, there are regional differences. As expected, approval is higher in the East German states than in the West German states.
TV duel in Thuringia – when will it be broadcast? Voigt and Höcke will enter the ring live today at 8:15 p.m
But when does the broadcast of the explosive encounter start? The TV duel between Höcke and Voigt will be broadcast live on Thursday evening (April 11th) on
Welt TV
. It starts at prime time at 8:15 p.m.
The channel Welt-TV is broadcasting the television duel at prime time
Date: Thursday, April 11, 2024
Time: 8:15 p.m
Channel: Live on television at
Welt TV
The date for the broadcast already caused excitement in advance. The television debate falls on the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp Buchenwald. The main criticism was that Höcke received nationwide publicity. “Anyone who offers Höcke a stage is making themselves an accomplice,” said Left Party leader Martin Schirdewan.
TV duel in Thuringia: Is the station offering the AfD right-winger too big of a stage?
Ultimately, Höcke’s party is classified as “certainly right-wing extremist” by the Thuringian State Office for the Protection of the Constitution. “It is a mistake on Voigt’s part to arrange a TV duel with Höcke,” said political scientist Wolfgang Schroeder in an interview with the
Funke
media group. The CDU politician is thereby contributing to “further normalization and establishment of the AfD”. On the other hand, political expert Oliver Lembcke also sees the TV exchange as an opportunity for the CDU politician. “If you are behind, you have to attack,” he told the
dpa
news agency .
Voigt against Höcke: Surveys show that the CDU and AfD are in the lead before the state elections
Thuringia will elect a new state parliament on September 1st. In recent surveys, the AfD was in first place in the country with scores between 29 and 31 percent. Voigt's CDU ranks second in surveys with values between 20 and 21 percent. Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow's Left Party and his coalition partners SPD and Greens are weakening in the polls. They are not represented on the television show.
Political scientist Lembcke said that the mood for change in Thuringia was high. “Such a confrontation has the potential to unmask,” he said about the TV duel. He doesn’t think Höcke “has that much potential.” “What he can do is strategically provoke and trigger,” said the expert. But ultimately Höcke is not as cool and confident as many people believed. (
jkf/
with
dpa)