Merz refuses to collaborate with BSW.
The union comprising the AfD and the Left Party has been barred by the CDU due to compatibility issues since time immemorial. CDU's top honcho Friedrich Merz recently weighed in on how the party handles the Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht, with the clock ticking on an answer.
Merz made his position clear regarding a tie-up between his party and the Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) in the ARD's "Brennpunkt" show. When asked if he'd contemplate a partnership or coalition with the BSW to prevent AfD minister-presidents in the eastern region, Merz unequivocally responded, "No, that's off the table. We've always maintained that stance." Expanding on his viewpoint, he added, "Wagenknecht straddles both sides - she's often right-leaning on specific issues and left-leaning on others."
Merz juxtaposed his stance with the importance of commanding majorities. Upcoming elections, slated for September, will bring changes to the east German federal states of Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia. The AfD's strong showing in the European voting has made it harder to form a majority. The BSW, a newcomer to the political scene, enjoys significant support in the eastern region, thus potentially becoming a formidable player.
Merz' statement was met with disapproval from the BSW. Fabio De Masi, the party's European election nominee, dismissively described it as "extra cheap" in an interview with X. De Masi suggested that Merz had missed the memo about the CDU's many supporters fond of the BSW. "Besides," he reasoned, "we're aiming to govern in the east!"
Not all in the CDU share Merz' view. The CDU eliminated the prospects of alliances or collaborations with the AfD and the Left at their 2018 convention. However, the BSW's position remains a mystery. In a matter of months, the party has gravitated from an obscure entity to garnering 6.2 percent in the European elections.
Recently, Merz, answering a potentially lucrative union with the BSW in the east, stated, "We don't engage in coalition discussions; we battle for the CDU." The CDU refrains from discussing coalition possibilities prior to electoral dates.
Despite her top-ranking position, Karin Prien, the CDU's deputy chairwoman, had not dismissed partnerships with the BSW in early May. Prien, who is also the Education Minister for Schleswig-Holstein, speculated at that time, "We'll have to examine the individuals running for the BSW in each state and evaluate their political agendas. Based on that, one can then decide whether combining forces with the BSW at the local level might be viable." [paraphrased and rephrased from the original text]
Read also:
- Despite Merz's opposition, the CDU and BSW's potential alliance could pose a challenge for the Left Party and AfD in the upcoming state elections in Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.
- The AfD and The Left's union has been shunned by the CDU due to their perceived compatibility issues, leading Friedrich Merz to express his dissent towards collaborating with Sahra Wagenknecht's Alliance (BSW) in eastern Germany.
- The rise of right-wing extremism in state elections poses a threat, as evidenced by the AfD's strong showing in European elections, making it harder for parties like the CDU to form a majority.
- In response to Merz's criticism, Fabio De Masi from the BSW dismissed it as "extra cheap" and emphasized their ambition to govern in the eastern states, suggesting that they could become a significant force in the Brandenburg state elections.
