SPD politician Ralf Stegner defended FDP candidate Wolfgang Kubicki against claims that he aims to transform the party into a second AfD. Stegner told the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” that while Kubicki is not a right-wing populist, he knows how to play the part. According to Stegner, even if Kubicki occasionally makes mistakes, he remains a solid advocate for the rule of law. The SPD politician argued that playing the right-wing populist role can cause damage, but the benefits might outweigh the harm. He added that if more politicians exhibited Kubicki’s passion in other parties, the AfD might be slightly smaller.
Stegner expressed confidence in a resurgent FDP should Kubicki be elected chairman next week. He noted that Kubicki has historically added two or three percentage points to the FDP’s vote share in Schleswig-Holstein. Because of this, Stegner believes Kubicki can achieve a similar uplift nationwide, suggesting, “They don’t need much to cross the five percent threshold”.