Höcke declares himself as the head of the AfD and issues a warning.
The AfD is prepared to take on governing duties, stated Höcke. "It's a traditional practice for the strongest force to initiate discussions," he highlighted. The senior committees of the state AfD will determine within the next few days who they wish to extend an invitation to for talks.
Höcke brought attention to the fact that there are indeed dissenting voices within the CDU constituency that question the CDU's rejection of cooperation with the AfD. "I wonder how long the CDU leadership can continue to conduct politics at odds with the base," the AfD politician mused.
The CDU's federal congress passed a resolution in December 2018, ruling out "coalitions and similar collaborations" with the AfD. This stance was reiterated in a subsequent resolution by the CDU presidium in 2020: "For the CDU, collaboration with the AfD is out of the question - neither directly nor indirectly."
A survey conducted by the institute Infratest dimap for ARD revealed that a majority in Thuringia is against the AfD participating in government. 37% admitted to finding an AfD-led government appealing, while 60% expressed opposition.
The AfD was projected to be the most prominent party in the state parliament following the election on Sunday. "This news fills me with immense pride and satisfaction," Höcke said. "The people have made it clear today that things cannot continue as they have, and change can only be achieved via the AfD."
To differentiate democratic parties from the AfD, Höcke suggested: "I believe the old parties should first exhibit humility." He criticized the concept of creating a "firewall" between the parties, referring to it as "silly" and "unnecessary." This mentality must change. The other parties refuse to work with the AfD, which is classified as firmly right-wing extremist by Thuringia's constitutional protection office.
The CDU's rigid stance against collaborating with the AfD has been a topic of discussion within its own ranks, as Höcke pointed out. Despite the CDU's resolution ruling out coalitions with the AfD, the senior committees of the state AfD are considering extending an invitation for talks to the strongest force, which is likely the CDU.
