Thuringia’s BSW top candidate Wolf has not ruled out supporting AfD initiatives. Her potential coalition partner now wants to know more.
The Thuringian CDU top candidate Mario Voigt has called on the Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) alliance to comment on possible majorities for AfD laws. “This has a new quality. Ms Wagenknecht has to explain herself fundamentally,” said the state party leader after a TV round of the top candidates. In the MDR program “Fakt ist!” the BSW top candidate for the state election on September 1, Katja Wolf, again did not rule out possible approval of AfD initiatives in parliament.
What does the BSW think about the AfD?
“I’m not overly afraid that the AfD will bring forward so many sensible legislative proposals,” said Wolf on the show on Thursday evening, citing her life experience. “But if that’s how it’s going to be, then it will be discussed and then that’s the power of the argument in the political arena.”
The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) only founded its Thuringian regional association in March. Nevertheless, according to polls, the party is very successful in the eastern German states – in Thuringia, a neck-and-neck race with the CDU for second place is looming in the state elections. If Wolf and the BSW are ahead of Voigt’s CDU on election night, she could lay claim to the office of Prime Minister. None of the parties with a chance of entering the state parliament wants to form a coalition with Björn Höcke’s AfD, which is why the party’s claim to power is considered unrealistic despite its top spot in the polls.
Different rules in a coalition
A few days ago, Wolf had already called for a new approach to the AfD in an interview with “Welt” and complained that the firewall had made the AfD ever stronger. If there were clear reasons to reject a motion, it should be rejected. “Or you have to rise above it and say: It’s reasonable, we agree. We need more pragmatism and less ideology,” she said.
Wolf later told the German Press Agency that the focus should be more on content and not on “putting people down”. At the same time, however, she was clear about the political rules of the game. “If you are in a coalition, then different rules apply to motions. That is logical.”
On MDR, the politician made it clear that she considers the strength of the AfD to be a “core problem in this country”. A coalition with the party, which is classified as right-wing extremist in Thuringia, is still out of the question for her.
The CDU rejects cooperation with the AfD. However, the Christian Democrats in Thuringia have accepted AfD votes for their own bills in the past. Several laws were passed with the help of Höcke’s parliamentary group in the state parliament. At the same time, however, the CDU has always stressed that it would not agree to any AfD proposals or AfD laws.
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.
