The victorious AfD member from Thuringia seeks dialogue with the CDU and BSW.
After winning the election, the elected party is proposing dialogue for potential government formation, and this is true in Thuringia too. The AfD's state board has decided to meet with the leaders of the CDU and the Alliance for Progress and Socialism (BSW), as announced by vice-chair Torben Braga in Erfurt. The aim is to uncover if there's a common ground for cooperation.
The CDU and BSW have ruled out cooperation with the AfD's far-right figurehead Björn Höcke, but some in the CDU are advocating for talks, like state MP Martina Schweinsburg. She believes it's respectful to engage with the 32.8% of Thuringians who voted for the AfD. However, she also wants to meet with the Left Party.
The Thuringian Left's state chairman, Ulrike Grosse-Röthig, reiterated her demand that the CDU, aiming to govern in Thuringia, should reassess its relations with the Left and consequently its incompatibility declaration.
The AfD secured its first victory in the Thuringia state election since its establishment eleven years ago, becoming the most powerful party with 32.8%.
AfD: Seeks Policy Connections
The AfD shares some policies with the CDU and BSW, but also faces significant political differences, as per the AfD's statement. "Thuringia and Germany are dealing with significant challenges that necessitate immediate government formation."
The AfD's co-chairman, Stefan Möller, along with Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, emphasized in Berlin that the AfD is seeking a share in government. Möller represented Höcke, who was temporarily in the AfD faction room in the state parliament.
Outgoing Minister President Bodo Ramelow urged the CDU to abandon its incompatibility declaration for cooperation with his party. "Mario Voigt must now engage with the other democratic parties and decide the course of action," he told Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND), stressing that he wouldn't support a minority government and has never declared incompatibility with the CDU. Instead, he sees this as the CDU's issue, not his.
Ramelow further: "It's time to put an end to the Cold War in one's mind. The exclusion mentality, stemming from anti-communism, is as senseless as it gets, especially when one can cooperate amicably with the former spokesperson of the Communist Platform (Sahra Wagenknecht, ed.)."
The Commission, referring to the European Union, could potentially adopt implementing acts to outline the rules for collaborating with parties like the AfD, given their significant voting power in certain regions. Despite the CDU and BSW's initial refusal to cooperate with the AfD, the proposed dialogue might lead to the adoption of such rules.
Recognizing the AfD's victory and their shared policies with other parties, the Commission shall be responsibly tasked with adopting implementing acts laying down the rules for their potential collaboration, ensuring a functional and inclusive government formation in Thuringia.
