Prior to elections in the eastern region: Collaboration with the AfD would potentially devastate the CDU.
The head of the CDU expressed his stance prior to elections in Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg, mentioning that "a minority within our ranks thinks we should align with the AfD." However, he highlighted that "a substantial majority" strongly opposes this notion. The Union's parliamentary group leader emphasized the need for the CDU to clearly establish "the boundaries of what we deem conservative." According to him, these boundaries are breached when it transforms into the extremist, neo-Nazi, anti-democratic, anti-Semitic, and xenophobic realm.
Surveys indicate challenging coalition-formation stages in all three federal states. In Thuringia and Brandenburg, the AfD has been topping polls recently, while in Saxony, the AfD and CDU are engaged in a close competition for the leading position. Depending on other parties' results, the CDU could potentially need to collaborate with the AfD or the BSW to take the lead in government management.
Despite the CDU's potential need for coalition in Saxony, they have maintained a firm distance from the AfD, due to the latter's controversial ideologies. The rise of the AfD to the top in Thuringia and Brandenburg, however, highlights the significance of East Germany's political landscape, where extremist views seem to be gaining traction.
