As Brandenburg's September 22 election approaches, SPD Minister-President Dietmar Woidke remains optimistic despite recent polls showing his party tied with the CDU at 19%, behind the AfD's 23%.

Woidke, who has led Brandenburg for years, is open to potential talks with Sahra Wagenknecht's new BSW party, though he criticizes her lack of hands-on political experience.

He also expresses reluctance to involve federal SPD figures like Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the campaign, preferring to focus on local issues.

Woidke attributes the current negative mood partly to the federal government's failure to project stability during multiple crises, despite Brandenburg's economic growth outpacing the national average.