“Would sell the soul of the CDU”
Merz would rather resign than form a coalition with the AfD
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In Austria, the conservative ÖVP is negotiating a coalition with the right-wing extremist FPÖ, although it had previously ruled out such an alliance. Can something similar happen in Germany? Not with him, says Union Chancellor candidate Merz.
CDU leader and Union Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz continues to categorically rule out any collaboration with the AfD. “I'll repeat it here for the record. There will be no cooperation under my leadership with the CDU in Germany,” said Merz on ARD's “Tagesthemen”. The reasons are clear and obvious. “We do not work with a party that is xenophobic, that is anti-Semitic, that has right-wing radicals in its ranks, that keeps criminals in its ranks, a party that is flirting with Russia and wants to leave NATO and the European Union.” The CDU would “sell its soul” if it merged with the AfD.
In Austria, the conservative ÖVP entered into coalition negotiations with the right-wing extremist FPÖ this week – even though it had ruled it out before the elections. Merz rules out a U-turn for a CDU under his leadership. He will not allow the “firewall” in the CDU to fall to the AfD. When asked whether he could keep this promise, Merz replied: “I tie my fate as party leader of the CDU to this answer.”
Austria shows what happens “when you think you have to domesticate such a group, such a party, or bring them to reason somewhere through such government participation,” said Merz. “No, we don't bring them to their senses, they only make them stronger.” Merz described a conceivable scenario if cooperation with the AfD was not categorically ruled out and referred to the National Socialists' seizure of power in 1933: “In 2029 they will be the strongest faction, the next federal election is in 2033,” said the CDU leader. “Once 33 is enough in Germany.”
The right-wing populist FPÖ became the strongest force in the Austrian parliament for the first time in the parliamentary elections in September. After coalition talks between the conservative ÖVP, the social democratic SPÖ and the liberal Neos failed, FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl was the first party representative to form a government.
