Lower Saxony election: CDU top candidate Althusmann wants to replace Prime Minister Weil (video)

STORY: Lower Saxony’s Economics Minister Bernd Althusmann during the election campaign in Gifhorn. After the state elections on Sunday, the CDU politician wants to be prime minister at the head of the federal state. As early as mid-September, he was self-confident with a view to SPD incumbent Stephan Weil. “I don’t even know what he could do better. We’re on an equal footing. I believe that I was a very hands-on Economics Minister, and I also played a key role in showing during the Corona pandemic that we can get this country through the crisis safely, despite difficult challenges could lead. It was never the work of just one person. But without the CDU and also without our help, it might have gone differently. In that respect, it was a good, friendly, professional reign with the SPD, also with Mr. Weil, understand humanly We’re good at it. But there are also a few points where we clearly have different views, for example on the extension of nuclear power. I’m very much in favor of a sensible, pragmatic course here. He doesn’t want to go that way.” In view of the energy crisis after the start of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, Althusmann has spoken out in favor of allowing certain nuclear power plants to continue operating for two or three years. Althusmann believes that the kiln in Emsland should not be taken off the grid for the time being. “I think it’s simply wrong that in such a war and crisis situation we don’t do what would be sensible and pragmatic without going back to nuclear power in general.” Nuclear power, lack of gas, energy crisis – key issues in the Lower Saxony election campaign, not very specific to the state, but acute. In September, the specific concerns of the people in the Gifhorn pedestrian zone became apparent. “Normal people like me – I’m a disability pensioner, have… or I have to see how I can somehow maintain my standard of living a bit so that I can go on vacation for ten days or 12 days.” “I mean, it was said that the pensioners would get a hefty pension increase, yes? But nobody thought about it being eaten up by inflation. And I have no idea what the relief package is, when it will come, I have no idea not. But it’s affecting me.” Cost of living, pensions – these are also issues that are negotiated at federal level. In this respect, he is heavily involved in the Lower Saxony election campaign. “Here is really the sheer fear for the medium-sized companies, the bakeries, the butchers, many other medium-sized companies, whether they can still pay their bills at the end of the year, despite some relief packages, ultimately only promised that something would come. But people feel that not at all.” At the party conference in mid-September in Hanover, the 55-year-old saw good opportunities for his plan to move from deputy to prime minister after the election and also looked towards Berlin. “During the state elections on October 9th, the traffic light in Lower Saxony must also be unplugged so that we can re-establish the federal government with Friedrich Merz by 2025 at the latest.” According to a survey published on Thursday by the research group Wahlen on behalf of ZDF, the Social Democrats were ahead with 33 percent a few days before the state election, Althusmann’s CDU with 28 percent, the Greens with only 15 and the FDP with five percent. According to the survey, the AfD in Lower Saxony could get ten percent, the left 3.5, which would mean they would miss the entry into the state parliament in Hanover. How the people here in Gifhorn will decide, after the election on Sunday, will be learned more.