Policy Paper: Was Parteien versprechen – und was sie halten

Election platforms are more than just political declarations of intent. A MIDEM analysis by Dr. Steven Schäller, using the previous legislative period in Saxony-Anhalt as an example, shows that the CDU, FDP, and SPD implemented at least some of their promises on migration policy. The CDU and FDP in particular were able to push through their policy proposals, while the SPD more frequently made compromises.

Against this backdrop, the study examines the election platforms of seven parties for the 2026 state election. It reveals that migration and integration feature much more prominently in the AfD’s platform than in those of the other parties examined. Of the 86 announced measures, a significant portion falls under the state’s jurisdiction—including the conversion of the Stendal State Initial Reception Center into a deportation detention facility with 300 beds and the allocation of 100 million euros for a “deportation offensive.”

The analysis thus highlights which migration policy proposals the parties are putting forward—and which of these could actually be implemented at the state level if they were to join the state government.