Emperor of the East in conversation: enorWe are currently getting huge headwinds

Elisabeth Kaiser, the federal government’s eastern representative, spoke candidly during an interview ahead of regional elections in the east. “We are currently facing enormous resistance,” she said, reflecting on the challenges of maintaining political cohesion and public support in former East Germany. The conversation took place near the Finance Ministry in Berlin, where Kaiser has her office, a building with architecture reminiscent of the Nazi era. The structure was once the site of the founding of the German Democratic Republic in 1949, marked by a large mural on its exterior wall. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Treuhandanstalt, responsible for privatizing state-owned enterprises, moved into the building, often prioritizing economic restructuring over preserving local employment. Born and raised in the Plattenbau housing complex of Gera-Lusan, Kaiser has deep personal ties to the region. She described growing up in a two-and-a-half-room apartment shared with her brother, which became too cramped during her teenage years. At age 12 or 13, she and her family moved to a five-room apartment within the same Plattenbau, which she called “really great.” The move allowed each child to have their own room and even a study space. After her father’s death, the family downsized again, moving to a smaller unit without an elevator. Her mother still lives there, and Kaiser noted that while Gera-Lusan is green and quiet, and has developed well, she does not miss living there directly. Instead, she values modern infrastructure, being close to train stations, kindergartens, and schools for her children. Kaiser studied political science and administrative sciences, earning degrees from Erfurt and Potsdam. She joined the Social Democrats (SPD) in 2012 and worked as a press spokesperson for the SPD faction in the Thuringian State Parliament before entering the Bundestag in 2017. She served as spokesperson for the SPD working group against right-wing extremism until May 2025, when she assumed her current role as the federal government’s eastern representative. When asked how she lives today, she confirmed she continues to reside in a rented apartment in Gera. Reflecting on her current position, she expressed a positive sentiment toward returning to Gera-Lusan, noting it connects her to her childhood and serves as a sense of home. However, she clarified that she rarely visits the area in her official capacity as the eastern representative, preferring instead to visit her mother. Looking ahead to the upcoming regional elections in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Kaiser addressed concerns about the potential rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). According to recent polls, the AfD could potentially form the government in Saxony-Anhalt. While she expressed confidence that mainstream democratic parties would secure a majority, she warned that should the AfD come to power, it would pose a significant challenge for cooperation in political bodies. She emphasized that the majority of people in the region do not want an AfD-led government.