The German Mechanical Engineering Association VDMA is seldom shy about its communication volume. To highlight the importance of statements, exclamation marks are frequently employed, creating moments where readers may feel as if they were being shouted at. However, regarding one of the key messages of the annual press conference in 2023, the association cannot be loud enough. The warning about the economic consequences of the rise of anti-democratic parties comes after the state elections in Bremen, Hesse, and Bavaria and before the upcoming elections in Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg next year. And the timing is anything but premature. However, there remains the question of the extent to which the appeal will be heeded in the latter states. The mechanical engineering sector is not nearly as prominent there as in Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, or North Rhine-Westphalia. Additionally, a study from the University of Leipzig has shown that the assessment of one's own economic situation hardly plays a role in right-wing extremist attitudes.