- Critics Kretschmer and Redmann voice their discontent toward the head BSW wagon servant.
Two weeks before the state elections in Saxony and Thuringia, high-ranking CDU politicians are attacking BSW chief Sahra Wagenknecht for her efforts to impose conditions for potential collaborations. "The days of the central committee are behind us, where someone in Berlin could decide local matters," said Saxony's Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer, attending meetings of the party's top committees in Berlin. Wagenknecht is also making state coalitions contingent on the positions of potential partners regarding the war in Ukraine.
Kretschmer labeled Wagenknecht's ability, "She's got a unique gift for destroying things. She's never managed to build anything right, and it's the same story here." He critiques her interventions, unusual deals, and boundaries she sets. "Local party members being humiliated by someone from within their own rank, that's just awful. But that's something we've come to expect from her for years," the Prime Minister added.**
Redmann doubts Wagenknecht's intentions for governing in the states
The CDU's lead candidate for the September 22 Brandenburg state election, Jan Redmann, commented, "I'm unsure if the BSW even intends to govern seriously in the states." If they did, they would need to participate in state-level political discussions. However, "I get the impression that Sahra Wagenknecht is establishing positions at the federal level to prevent coalitions in the states. Her goal, therefore, is to prevent serious discussions in the states." He queried how the BSW's top candidates and chairperson in the state associations were handling this - "are they just messengers for Sahra Wagenknecht's messages or are they also making confident politics for Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg?"
Meanwhile, Redmann stated, "The CDU's incompatibility resolutions are not with the BSW, but with the AfD and the Left Party. It needs to be determined whether there are any shared points." In the states, he could indeed recognize some commonalities. "The BSW will not change the federal CDU's course in Thuringia, Saxony, and Brandenburg via state coalitions. We will not allow that."
Spahn warns against coalition debates
CDU presidium member Jens Spahn cautioned against coalition debates. People want to know where the differences lie in education policy, internal security, migration, or economic policy. "Otherwise, I have full trust that the state associations will make informed decisions," Spahn added.**
The CDU's European MP Dennis Radtke previously denied any collaboration between his party and the Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW). "Any collaboration with the BSW would be poisonous for the CDU," he informed the Tagesspiegel. "Any cooperation between the CDU and the BSW in any federal state would harm the CDU nationwide," he reiterated.
The CDU Presidium member, Jens Spahn, advises against focusing too much on coalition debates, emphasizing the importance of identifying differences in key policy areas such as education, internal security, migration, and economics.
In light of the upcoming state elections, the CDU's lead candidate for Brandenburg, Jan Redman, expressed skepticism towards Wagenknecht's intentions, suggesting that her actions might be aimed at preventing serious discussions at the state level and preventing potential coalitions.
