- EU politicians still see many question marks in the BSW
The CDU will not fundamentally rule out the alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) as a potential coalition partner in a federal state, despite concerns from former East German civil rights activists. "Of course, the BSW is not our 'dream candidate'," said Thorsten Frei (CDU), parliamentary business manager of the Union faction in Berlin. However, the alliance is still "a black box in many ways - both in terms of content and personnel."
Nevertheless, Frei said, "It doesn't help us to exclude everything from here in Berlin." The CDU has party congress resolutions excluding cooperation with AfD or the Left Party. However, it would be wrong to take individual options off the table for all others. "In the end, it's about dealing with what the sovereign decides." Looking at Thuringia and Saxony, where new state parliaments will be elected on September 1, shows that it could become "very complicated," Frei said.
Former civil rights activists have warned against a coalition with BSW after the state elections in East Germany. This is due to statements from BSW regarding the Ukraine war. Wagenknecht has said that the "peace issue" is very important to her party. She also criticized the federal government's role in the conflict and the planned stationing of US missiles in Germany. In recent polls, BSW has reached values of 15 to 20 percent in Thuringia, Saxony, and Brandenburg, where a new state parliament will be elected on September 22.
Despite the warnings from former East German civil rights activists, the CDU is open to considering a coalition with Sahra Wagenknecht's BSW in certain federal states after the upcoming state elections. The potential alliance could complicate the situation in Thuringia and Saxony, where BSW has gained significant support in recent polls with values ranging from 15 to 20%.
