Scholz urges better communication on Dresden visit ahead of key poll

On a visit to the eastern German city of Dresden on Thursday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on Germans to get better at communicating in the face of a growing divide.
In a conversation with participants from the Dresden democracy project "metro_polis," he urged a "community of understanding."
People ought to not only evaluate things, but also be part of the solution, Scholz said.
The chancellor's visit to Dresden came just over six months before regional elections for the state government.
In recent months, the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in opinion polls in Germany has caused consternation among mainstream parties and led to fierce debate in society at large.
Tens of thousands of people have joined anti-extremism demonstrations all over the country in recent weeks.
For a country haunted by its Nazi past, the rise of a nationalist party has become a major concern.
Social media had brought a lot of good, Scholz asserted, noting that the spread of unfounded rumors is a problem. It was important to create opportunities where there is more dialogue again, he said.
The "metro_polis" group works with the Dresden public transport company and wants to make trams a lively place for democracy and opinion-forming.
Moderated discussions take place several times a week in the last compartment of a moving tram during normal service. Spontaneous discussions with passengers take place there.
The "metro_polis" team moderates discussions on relevant topics such as migration, climate, social justice or loneliness, bullying and stress management.
Scholz described the project as a great initiative, saying it does valuable work for social cohesion.
"Talking to each other, exchanging and enduring different opinions, learning to understand other views and perhaps even developing common points of view – this promotes the culture of conversation in our country in the very best sense," the chancellor said.
Scholz hopes that the example from Dresden will set a precedent and be imitated in other cities.
In conversation with Scholz, participants reported on their experiences with the project.
According to club spokeswoman Kristina Krömer, passengers' suggested solutions to various topics are bundled together at the end of the month and sent to the city administration.
Scholz also talked about how his use of modes of transport has changed since he took high office.
He said that he misses driving or taking the train and revealed that the last time he took the train was when he was as federal finance minister under his predecessor Angela Merkel.
Earlier on Thursday, Scholz visited the Elbe Flugzeugwerke, a company specializing in converting passenger aircraft into cargo planes which works for airlines all over the world. He then travelled to Glashütte, not far from Dresden, to visit the watch manufacturer Nomos. The company is known for its mechanical watches.
Scholz was to continue his meetings with the public in the evening at the Kraftwerk Mitte venue, a cultural centre on the edge of the city centre.