This is our own inofficial summary translation of the German article 'Klappe auf gegen Höcke', published in Spiegel+ [access restricted]

[...] Anyone who contacted local companies or business associations around state elections in Saxony and Thuringia could feel the uncertainty of the people they spoke to. [...] [A]t the end of the election evening, Rico Chmelik, Managing Director of Automotive Thuringia association, wrote: "I make no secret of the fact that I am very upset by the results so far." [...]

[AfD's] nationalist and illiberal course is also directed against entrepreneurs. This became apparent a few days before the election, when Thuringia's top candidate, Björn Höcke, told companies critical of the AfD to "shut up" and wished them to get into "severe, severe economic turbulence." [...]

"This is the beginning of the rapid deindustrialization of East Germany," predicts Daniel Hannemann, founder of the Wittenberg-based electricity storage company Tesvolt, which relies on international skilled workers such as Indians, Africans and Syrians [...].

After all, Höcke's attempt to shut up critics from the business community can be considered a failure for the time being... Thuringian nougat manufacturer Viba also announced that it would now “certainly not” remain silent. [...]

In both states, however, around one in three votes went to AfD. The attempt not to alienate these voters across the board is evident from many statements. "The people have voted, now we have to make the best of it," says Uwe Ahrendt, CEO of the Saxon watch manufacturer Nomos. [...] "We are grateful for [democracy in East Germany after 1989]. And now we have to do everything we can to preserve it.”

[...] It must "now be a matter of winning back the voters of the AfD for the democratic parties," demands Ver.di [union] boss Frank Werneke. In Saxony as well as in Thuringia, "policies need to focus on the interests of employees and lead to more collective bargaining coverage and comprehensive investments in public services". [...]

The economic situation was not one of the issues that voters in either Saxony or Thuringia considered particularly important for their decision. Instead, migration, security and education were decisive in both states. However, according to Infratest dimap, 88% of AfD voters described their economic situation as poor [...].

The supplier association Automotive Thüringen is warning of further [economic] deterioration as a result of the election [...]