Collaboration between German Politics and the Far-Right: Friedrich Merz Sparks Controversy
Introduction
German politics has been shaken by recent comments made by Friedrich Merz, leader of the Christian Democrats (CDU), suggesting potential collaboration with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) at the local level. These comments have broken a taboo in German politics, as mainstream parties have traditionally refused to associate with the AfD due to its close ties to the far right.
Resistance to Collaboration
The response to Merz’s comments within his own party and beyond has been largely critical. Kai Wegner, the UDC mayor of Berlin, voiced opposition to any collaboration with a party that promotes division and exclusion. The CDU has created a “cordon sanitaire” around the AfD, refusing to work with a movement known for its radical views on immigration and hostility towards Muslims.
However, there are those within the CDU who believe that the party’s strict stance against the AfD may become increasingly difficult to sustain, particularly considering the AfD’s electoral success in East Germany. The AfD’s popularity, currently at 22%, poses a challenge for the CDU, which is just four points ahead.
The AfD’s Rising Popularity
The AfD’s success can be attributed to a variety of factors. Experts suggest that widespread anger over irregular immigration, inflation, high energy costs, and the failed ban on new oil and gas boilers have contributed to the party’s appeal. In recent local elections, the AfD achieved notable victories, including the election of an AfD politician as the head of the district council of Sonneberg and another winning the mayoral election in Saxony-Anhalt.
Merz’s Controversial Backtracking
Following the backlash to his initial comments, Merz backtracked on his position, emphasizing that CDU resolutions against collaborating with the AfD still stood. This led to further criticism from other CDU politicians who accused Merz of contradicting party resolutions that explicitly reject cooperation with the AfD.
A Challenge to Maintaining Ideological Integrity
The debate surrounding collaboration with the AfD highlights a struggle within the CDU between maintaining ideological integrity and responding to the changing political landscape. Some argue that the CDU should stick to its principles, arguing that the AfD tolerates far-right ideas, anti-Semitism, and racism within its ranks. Tobias Hans, a former CDU prime minister, warns against watering down party resolutions in response to the AfD’s electoral successes.
Diverse Reactions to Merz’s Comments
Merz’s comments were met with mixed reactions both within and outside of the CDU. Some, including Tino Chrupalla, the AfD’s leader, welcomed Merz’s remarks, viewing it as a sign that the CDU’s resistance to the AfD was weakening. However, Carsten Linnemann, the CDU’s general secretary, clarified that there was no change in the party’s strict line on the AfD. He noted that collaboration with the AfD would only be considered on a case-by-case basis and wouldn’t make the CDU dependent on right-wing radicals.
The Future of German Politics
The implications of the debate around collaboration with the AfD are far-reaching for German politics. The CDU must navigate the balance between its traditional values and the changing political landscape. As public sentiment evolves, the party will need to consider its approach to the AfD carefully. The far-right’s growing support poses a challenge to the established political order and forces mainstream parties to reassess their strategies.
Summary
Friedrich Merz’s recent suggestion of potential collaboration between the CDU and the far-right AfD at the local level in German politics has stirred controversy. While the CDU has traditionally rejected any association with the AfD, its electoral success and changing political dynamics have prompted debates within the party. However, the comments faced strong criticism and were ultimately retracted by Merz, reaffirming the party’s resolutions against working with the AfD. The balance between ideological integrity and electoral realities poses a challenge for the CDU. The future of German politics will be shaped by how mainstream parties respond to the rise of the far-right and the evolving sentiments of the electorate.
—————————————————-
| Article | Link |
|---|---|
| UK Artful Impressions | Premiere Etsy Store |
| Sponsored Content | View |
| 90’s Rock Band Review | View |
| Ted Lasso’s MacBook Guide | View |
| Nature’s Secret to More Energy | View |
| Ancient Recipe for Weight Loss | View |
| MacBook Air i3 vs i5 | View |
| You Need a VPN in 2023 – Liberty Shield | View |
Receive free updates on German politics
We will send you a myFT Daily Summary email summarizing the latest german politics news every morning.
Friedrich Merz, leader of the Christian Democrats, provoked outrage in his party by suggesting that the CDU could collaborate with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) at the local level.
The comments, made in a television interview on Sunday evening, broke one of the biggest taboos in German politics: the refusal of mainstream parties to have anything to do with the AfD, which has close ties to the far right.
Kai Wegner, the UDC mayor of Berlin, said there could be no cooperation with a party “whose economic model is hatred, division and exclusion”.
Merz then responded to the fury by backtracking on his previous comments. “Just to make it clear again, and I never said anything different: CDU resolutions apply,” he wrote on Twitter. “The CDU will not cooperate with the AfD, even at the municipal level.”
The CDU is one of several parties that have created a sort of “cordon sanitaire” around the AfD, refusing to work with a movement whose radical views on immigration and hostility towards Muslims have made it synonymous with extremism.
But some within the CDU say privately that its “firewall” against the AfD could be difficult to sustain over the long term, given the party’s electoral success in East Germany.
The AfD is currently at 22%, well ahead of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats and just four points behind the CDU. Experts say he benefits from widespread anger over irregular immigration, inflation and high energy costs as well as a failed ban on new oil and gas boilers pushed by Scholz’s coalition partners the Greens.
Last month an AfD politician was elected head of the district council of Sonneberg in the eastern state of Thuringia – a first for the party. A few days later, an AfD candidate won the mayoral elections in the neighboring state of Saxony-Anhalt.
Speaking to public broadcaster ZDF on Sunday evening, Merz said the CDU would not cooperate with the AfD in European, regional and national parliaments. But if the AfD won the post of mayor or head of a district council, it was a “democratic election” and “we have to accept it”.
“And of course in local councils you have to look for ways to run things together in towns, rural areas and districts,” he added.
A former chairman of BlackRock Germany, Merz has long irritated those on the left of his party with his conservative views. This month he said the CDU should aim to become an “alternative for Germany – with substance”.
The ZDF interview drew a furious reaction from other CDU politicians. “Whether in a district council or in the Bundestag, the radical right remains the radical right,” Yvonne Magwas, a CDU politician who is also deputy speaker of parliament, wrote on Twitter. “For Christian Democrats, right-wing radicals are ALWAYS the enemy!”
The Christian Democrats said Merz’s comments contradicted resolutions passed at CDU party conferences that explicitly ruled out cooperation with the AfD.
One said anyone advocating for a rapprochement with the AfD should know that it is a party that “consciously tolerates far-right ideas, anti-Semitism and racism within its ranks”.
“What we see here is the creeping attempt to water down party resolutions after the far-right’s electoral successes,” said Tobias Hans, former CDU prime minister of the small Saarland state.
The AfD welcomed Merz’s comments, with leader Tino Chrupalla saying the CDU’s firewall was starting to crumble. “In the regions and at the national level, we will tear down these walls together,” he wrote in a tweet. “The citizens of this country will be the winners.”
Merz also won the support of Carsten Linnemann, the CDU’s general secretary, who insisted there was no change in the party’s strict line on the AfD. But “say a local council is discussing a new crèche, we can’t vote against just because the AfD votes for it,” he told Bild Zeitung. “We don’t make ourselves dependent on right-wing radicals.”
—————————————————-