At the CDU congress in Stuttgart, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz clearly rejected any cooperation with the far right and strongly warned against the danger he believed the AfD represented. He emphasized that maintaining the party’s center-right policy is essential for him.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz categorically rejected any softening of his ruling Christian Democratic Union’s (CDU) stance on cooperation with the far right, warning that the Alternative for Germany (AfD) could not come to power. He said this on Friday at the start of the two-day congress of his party in Stuttgart. TASR writes about it according to the report of the DPA agency.
“I have definitely decided to seek support for our policy exclusively from the political center of our country,” Merz said at the party conference.
Exclusively moderate politics
“It is true that it currently limits us to a coalition with the SPD (Social Democratic Party of Germany),” he admitted. The two main parties have been in the coalition under the leadership of Merz since May, DPA reminds.
The legacy of the country’s history should not be wasted because of short-term political successes achieved in cooperation with right-wing populist forces, he argued further, referring to the AfD. “I will not allow these people from the Alternative for Germany to destroy our country,” emphasized the chancellor. “This party cannot be our partner,” he added.
Migration and the East
According to Merz, the CDU must “prevent right-wing radicalism from returning to the federal states of Germany,” he said with special reference to this year’s state elections in the east of the country.
On the first day of the CDU congress, the election of the party leadership is also on the agenda. The only candidate for the post of chairman is Chancellor Merz himself, who has been at the head of the party since January 2022.
