Jan Josef Liefers criticizes MDR cuts and AfD agenda

Actor Jan Josef Liefers has addressed the political climate in Germany and recent programming changes at MDR during an appearance on the podcast ‘Lanz + Precht’.

Regarding the upcoming state election in Sachsen-Anhalt on September 6, Liefers expressed concerns about the AfD’s ‘relatively authoritarian agenda’ and its nationalistic ideas. However, he stated he does not believe a potential AfD victory would lead to the ‘end of the world,’ noting that democracy is a ‘strong and well-developed construction’ and that Germany possesses significant resilience.

Liefers also criticized MDR’s decision to suspend the production of crime series such as ‘Polizeiruf 110’ and ‘Tatort’ for three years as a cost-cutting measure. He remarked that such ‘drastic’ actions felt more like something one would expect from a totalitarian party, drawing a parallel to the AfD’s stated intention to terminate broadcasting contracts if they were to gain power. Moderator Markus Lanz also questioned the necessity of these cuts given the significant annual funding available to public broadcasters.