Dresden (dpa/sn) - CDU federal party leader Friedrich Merz asked people to go to the ballot box in Dresden shortly before the mayoral election and the local elections in Saxony. "Politics make a difference," emphasized Merz. Politics have a direct impact on people's lives. The war in Ukraine in particular shows that more must be done for democracy than in the past. Peace and freedom cannot be taken for granted. "We have to make an effort."
In his speech, Merz again defended the decision to supply arms to Ukraine. Countries have the right to defend themselves against military aggression that violates international law. Just recently, the CDU politician accused the federal government of deliberately slowing down arms in Ukraine's defense against Russia.
At the same time, Merz campaigned in Dresden for incumbent Dirk Hilbert (FDP), who is running for the non-partisan association "Independent Citizens for Dresden" on June 12. The CDU itself does not have its own candidate in the Saxon state capital. Merz and Saxony's CDU state chairman and Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer therefore spoke out in favor of Hilbert as a candidate for a civil alliance.
On June 12, new mayors and mayors will be elected in 185 towns and communities, including the state capital of Dresden. In addition to incumbent Hilbert, one and four candidates are up for election: Eva Jähnigen (Greens), Maximilian Krah (AfD), Albrecht Pallas (SPD), André Schollbach (Left) and Martin Schulte-Wissermann (Pirates). In addition, the voters in nine districts decide on a new district administrator.
