The party leader is speculating about cooperation with the AfD at the municipal level – and is reaping bewilderment in the CDU. Is the Union facing the question of leadership?
With new statements about the AfD, Friedrich Merz has thrown his party into a heated strategy debate and the discussion about his leadership qualities has flared up again. In the summer interview with ZDF, the CDU chairman hinted at a possible breach of taboo by speculating about selective cooperation with the right-wing extremist party.
Merz emphasized that there would be “no participation by the AfD in a government”, but only referred to the exclusion of any cooperation at the federal and state level and the European Parliament. Regarding the situation at the municipal level, he said: “Of course we are obliged to accept democratic elections. And if a district administrator or mayor who belongs to the AfD is elected there, it goes without saying that one looks for ways to continue working in this city.”
On Sunday evening, Merz’ statements also caused disbelief and sometimes emotional public distancing among leading Christian Democrats.
“The AfD only knows opposition and division. Where should there be COOPERATION?” tweeted Kai Wegner, Berlin’s Governing Mayor, in obvious contrast to the statements made by the party leader. “Whether it’s the local council or the Bundestag, right-wing radicals remain right-wing radicals. For Christian Democrats, right-wing radicals are ALWAYS enemies!” CDU Vice-President Yvonne Magwas tweeted.
“It’s unbearable,” wrote the former CDU Prime Minister in Saarland, Tobias Hans, in the direction of Merz. “This is a gradual dilution of party congress resolutions after the extreme right has won elections. Resist the beginnings!”
The chairwoman of the Women’s Union, Annette Widmann-Mauz, wrote: “No cooperation with #noafd – no matter what level! The party and its inhuman & anti-democratic content remain the same, no matter what level. No relativization, no trivialization, but a clear edge against right-wing extremists!”
In the East, Merz also receives applause
The dispute launched by the chairman could hardly have come at a worse time for the Union. Just in time for the upcoming state election campaigns in Hesse and Bavaria, the CDU presents itself in the greatest disarray.
For months, Merz has been trying to counter the growing pressure from the AfD, but is increasingly unable to give the impression of a clear line. Only recently did he replace his general secretary – also to end a debate about his own future. Now this threatens to flare up again, as well as a discussion about whether the firewall strategy towards the AfD is still up to date.
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The party seems more divided than ever on this issue. The liberal wing of the party in particular is pushing for an even sharper demarcation in view of the AfD, which is clearly gaining in popularity. In East German state associations, on the other hand, there are increasing calls for a more differentiated approach in view of the political realities. Individual local politicians and state parliamentarians from the CDU are campaigning there for the ban on cooperation to be at least partially lifted.
The Brandenburg member of the Bundestag Jana Schimke Merz thanked her for the “point setting” and wrote on Twitter: “Should the new construction of schools, the rehabilitation of roads or the district budget be rejected in the future because the head of the district administration or the town hall is from the AfD?”
Merz received support from his new General Secretary Carsten Linnemann, who quickly counterattacked the political competition: “It is hypocritical that the SPD, of all people, who has long agreed with the AfD at the municipal level, is now feigning outrage because Friedrich Merz has emphasized a matter of course,” he told the “Bild” newspaper.
The CDU headquarters were surprised at the harsh reactions and pointed out that Merz had emphasized the ban on cooperation at a small party conference in June, but that even then it only referred to legislative bodies – i.e. the municipal level was excluded. There can be no question of a repositioning.
Does it need a new AfD decision?
Other Christian Democrats, who belong to Merz’s team, also emphasized that the chairman had by no means moved away from the CDU’s valid incompatibility decision, after all he had of course ruled out cooperation at the federal and state level.
In fact, the decision on incompatibility with the AfD leaves a certain amount of room for interpretation because it is clear in tone, but does not explicitly address the municipal level. The passage adopted by the Presidium in February 2020 generally states: “The following applies to the CDU in Germany: There is no cooperation with the AfD – neither in direct nor indirect form”. For a further explanation, it was already said at the time: “Certain points of contact cannot be avoided in everyday parliamentary life.”
Merz’ supporters now also refer to this passage. The party leader himself said when asked whether he was now giving up the strict demarcation from the AfD: “I haven’t given up on that, but we are obliged to recognize democratic elections.”
That is exactly why many in the CDU seem to fear a dam bursting. It makes a difference whether you tacitly accept certain points of contact or make statements that can be understood as carte blanche for cooperation at the municipal level, they say.
The force that Merz’s interview unfolded is probably due to this: It seems as if Merz is declaring local politics, where many important decisions are made for citizens, to be a legitimate field of cooperation with the extreme right.
In the party leadership there was talk of a “wave” against the course of the chairman late Sunday evening. Even state associations that had previously been close to Merz immediately opposed him. “There will be no cooperation at any level with the openly racist and partly anti-Semitic AfD,” said the Hamburg CDU.
The CSU is silent – for now
It will be interesting to see how the CSU positions itself, which has so far been reluctant to make any statements. The Christsozialen meet on Monday morning as scheduled in the management committees in Munich. The summer holidays in the Union should not be quiet under any circumstances.
Calls to quickly clarify one’s own position are already making the rounds – be it through a new decision by the CDU leadership or even a special party conference. The first Christian Democrats openly question the incompatibility decision. “The decisions taken by the CDU came at a time when today’s majorities in the district or town hall were unthinkable. As is well known, this cannot be reversed,” explained Brandenburg member of the Bundestag Schimke.
Foreign politician Norbert Röttgen, on the other hand, warns against changing your own decision-making position towards the AfD. “There can be no cooperation at any level with such a party. Anyone who wants to change that must find a majority at a federal party conference of the CDU,” he explained, adding in the direction of Merz: “Until then, everyone has to stick to the decision-making process.”
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
