The CDU has formed a diverse advisory team — including educators, farmers, a start‑up founder and a prominent police union official — to refocus its regional campaign in Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern. A recent poll puts the AfD at 36%, the SPD at 29% and the CDU at about 9%, heightening pressure on the party. The AfD’s rise follows its strong federal showing last year and leaves open the possibility of major regional wins, including a potential absolute majority in Saxony‑Anhalt.
CDU Assembles Diverse Advisory Team to Counter AfD Surge Ahead of September State Votes
FILE PHOTO - A CDU logo in a window at the Lower Saxony CDU state party conference. (is associated with: «Germany's CDU enlists diverse team to advise on AfD-led state election») Hauke-Christian Dittrich/dpa
The Christian Democratic Union (CDU), one of Germany's main conservative parties, has put together a broad advisory team to help shape its regional election campaign in Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern as it seeks to blunt a rising challenge from the far‑right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Voters in Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern will choose a new state government on September 20. A recent poll shows the AfD leading at 36%, the Social Democrats (SPD) at 29% and the CDU trailing at roughly 9%.
With the campaign heating up, CDU lead candidate Daniel Peters unveiled the new panel of advisers on Tuesday. The group includes a headmaster, a start‑up founder, farmers and a nationally known police union official. Peters said the team’s purpose is to pinpoint the issues that matter most to local voters and to focus the campaign on practical solutions.
Why This Matters
The AfD’s momentum has heightened concerns across Germany because the party finished second in last year’s federal election — the best result for a far‑right party in the country since World War II. That boost in support has translated into stronger showings in state polls and raised the prospect of significant regional gains.
In particular, the AfD is within striking distance of an absolute majority in Saxony‑Anhalt, where a vote on September 6 could see the party take control of a regional government for the first time. Berlin and Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern will vote on September 20, and polls project strong AfD performances there as well.
CDU strategists say the advisory panel is intended to reconnect the party with everyday local concerns — from education and agriculture to public safety and entrepreneurship — and to present voters with targeted policy responses rather than broad rhetoric.
Context: The outcome of these state elections will be watched closely as a barometer of public sentiment ahead of future national contests and as an indicator of the AfD’s capacity to translate poll leads into governing power at the regional level.
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