Sachsen-Anhalt: Parties preparing for the risk of an authoritarian shift

• As the AfD nears 50% in state election polls, political parties in Saxony-Anhalt are proposing strategies to harden democratic structures against an potential authoritarian shift.
• Key focus areas include social cohesion, anti-discrimination, youth participation, transparency, and direct measures against right-wing extremism.

Core Democratic Strengthening Strategies

• Social Cohesion and Anti-Discrimination: The Left (Die Linke) aims to standardize inclusion in schools and replace discriminatory payment cards for asylum seekers. The Greens and SPD advocate for state anti-discrimination laws, gender-mainstreaming in legislation, and expanded intercultural training for police and medical staff.
• Youth Participation: Multiple parties support school-level decision-making power and the establishment of youth parliaments. SPD and the Greens propose lowering the voting age (to 16 or 14, respectively) and introducing citizens' councils to ensure diverse voices are heard in policy.
• Combating Isolation: Parties identify loneliness as a catalyst for radicalization. Solutions include investing in community spaces (libraries, youth clubs), funding local engagement, and supporting social gatherings in rural areas to foster resilience against extremism.
• Media Literacy: To counter disinformation, parties plan to integrate media literacy into school curricula, hold online platforms accountable, and provide digital support offerings through state authorities.

Transparency and Counter-Extremism

• Public Accountability: The Left demands individual identification for police officers, mandatory bodycams, and transparency for AI-based administrative decisions. The Greens advocate for a state-level lobby register and an independent police complaints office.
• Direct Anti-Fascist Measures: The SPD and the Greens advocate for the initiation of a federal constitutional court process to ban the AfD. Proposals also include stripping extremist parties of public funding, enforcing bans on weapon ownership for extremists, and strengthening the independence of the state constitutional court.