Thuringian CDU politician attacks historian Rödder for AfD theses

A new debate about dealing with the AfD has flared up in the CDU. After the historian and former chairman of the CDU basic value commission, Andreas Rödder, has suggested an opening of his party to the AfD, sharp contradiction is stimulated. “Mr. Rödder apparently has no practical experience with the AfD,” said Andreas Bühl, group leader of the CDU in Thuringia, the star. “He fails to recognize which hate speeches we experience here every week in district days and state parliaments.” Rödder’s look is “very theoretical”. Bühl emphasized: “The AfD must not be responsible.”

The historian Andreas Rödder had previously promoted his party with the AfD for a “conditioned willingness to talk”. The CDU has to free itself from the “red-green measurement”, said Rödder several media. In principle, he considers incompatibility resolutions to be a problem. In addition, the CDU should have elected an AfD president in the Bundestag and should also vote for AfD politicians as committee chair. Rödder describes the AfD honorary chairman Alexander Gauland as a “respectable personality”.

CDU parliamentary group boss Bühl replies: “The AfD is only interested in destruction.” The party uses every bit to show and damage the established system. “We experienced in the Thuringian state parliament how the AfD wanted to slow down any kind of co -determination rights with its age president.” This shows that the rules for the party also have to be adjusted. “We did that in Thuringia and also support it at the federal level.”

The CDU parliamentary group leader warned his party about approaching the AfD: “We have to be aware that these people are not the friendly conservatives next door.” The main goal of the party is the destruction of the CDU. “We are the last barrier against their takeover.” At the same time, he campaigned for differentiation in the political argument: it does not help “plate good-against-evil delimitation,” said Bühl. “We therefore have to work through the AfD thematically and solve the problems that disturb people.”

In Thuringia, the AfD provides the strongest faction in the state parliament, it also has a blocking minority. CDU Prime Minister Mario Voigt provides the government coalition together with BSW and SPD. In the past week, for example, the political groups made an application to admit the wolf in hunting law. The left voted against it, the AfD agreed. “We still put this for coordination because it is correct in the matter,” said Bühl. His formula is: “We don’t care how the AfD is right, but we do not bring you anywhere.”

The historian Andreas Rödder is considered a conservative pioneer and well networked within the CDU. Friedrich Merz appointed him chairman of the basic value commission after his election as party leader in 2022. After Rödder in an interview with the star had pleaded for less “fire wall hysteria”, he resigned from this function after internal party criticism. Today Rödder is head of the liberal-conservative think tank “Republik21”. Rödder recently told the newspaper “Die Welt” about his relationship with the CDU: “I have a problem.” He thinks about the consequences.

In the CDU, the mood has recently worsened in the coalition negotiations in the face of falling survey values ​​and vague results of the working groups. The reports on withdrawals are increasing in the party headquarters. The head of the Junge Union threatened to reject the coalition agreement at the weekend, should there be no clear improvements.

The former Prime Minister of Baden-Württemberg and ex-EU Commissioner Günther Oettinger also put pressure on the CDU tip around Friedrich Merz in the coalition negotiations. “The financing of infrastructure by an exception to the debt brake is very seductive. We urgently need reforms in the field of social services, labor market and subsidies,” said Oettinger the star. “I hope that the Union and SPD will agree on such a new agenda in the coalition negotiations.”

Oettinger, who was one of the allies of the CDU leader early, was also disappointed that no repayment mechanism has so far been agreed for the major debt sums. “I expect a draft bill to be repaid whether, how and when the 1000 billion debts, which are now caused by special funds and defense financing.