- The head of the CDU defends the policy of an open approach in response to criticism posed by the BSW.
Brandenburg's CDU head Jan Redmann is open to the idea of collaborating with the Alliance for Progress and Social Justice (APSG) following the state election. He doesn't believe it's fair to immediately dismiss a new party, like the APSG, which is still shrouded in mystery in many aspects, and lump it in with parties mentioned in domestic intelligence reports, such as the Left or the AfD, Redmann told RBB's Radio Eins. The CDU has ruled out forming alliances with the AfD and the Left.
"Given the make-up here in Brandenburg, our top candidate was once with the SPD and now serves as a labor judge," Redmann pointed out. The APSG's state parliament group in Thuringia includes ex-Greens and Christian Democrats as well.
Redmann disagreed with the APSG's condition that cooperation could only happen if weapons deliveries to Ukraine were halted. "We're not willing to do that, neither is the CDU in Germany," he said.
For Redmann, the key is understanding the APSG's stance on Germany's military. He finds it concerning that they've included in their election manifesto their opposition to the expansion of military bases in Brandenburg. The APSG's manifesto states: "... their adequate equipment, not their expansion and armament, should be the aim of defense policy."
Redman defended the CDU's stance on turning away asylum seekers at the German border. "Turning away asylum seekers at the border is currently prohibited due to the Dublin III regulation, which is no longer being followed by other European countries," he said.
The traffic light government and the Union are currently in talks about migration policy. CDU leader Friedrich Merz insists on the condition of turning away migrants directly at the German border.
A new state parliament will be elected in Brandenburg on September 22. According to the latest polls, the CDU is at 19 percent, trailing behind the AfD at 24 percent, the SPD at 20 percent, and the APSG at 17 percent.
In Saxony, the CDU was the strongest force, and in Thuringia, it was the second strongest behind the AfD. Redmann is hopeful: "The election in Thuringia showed that the incumbent advantage is not the deciding factor – if that were the case, Bodo Ramelow would still be in first place in Thuringia."
Despite the CDU trailing behind the AfD in Brandenburg's polls, Redmann maintains a cautious approach towards the APSG, viewing it differently from parties like the Left or the AfD. He finds the APSG's stance on military expansion concerning, but is hopeful that a new state parliament will lead to shifts in the political landscape, as demonstrated in Thuringia.
