Four months leading up to the state election in Saxony-Anhalt, CDU State Minister-President Sven Schulze admitted that his party had fallen short in engaging young people through social media. Speaking on the ntv program “Pinar Atalay” on Monday, he noted that the CDU, as a whole, had neglected the topic of social media to some extent. He pointed out that the AfD has a significantly higher reach among younger voters and currently leads the CDU in several polls.
The disparity was evident when comparing the respective online profiles. The AfD candidate for Saxony-Anhalt, Ulrich Siegmund, boasts approximately 370,000 followers on Instagram, compared to Schulze, who has about 8,500. When asked if the CDU could still reach younger people, Schulze admitted, “It must also be clearly stated that we had deficits in that area”.
Despite this admission, Schulze maintained that the CDU has since managed to improve its presence. He emphasized that social media is “a very important medium for young people, especially those who may no longer watch television or read newspapers”. Nonetheless, citing the current reach, the CDU politician expressed satisfaction, insisting that “in the end, it is about the people of Saxony-Anhalt, who are important to me, regarding accessibility”.