German CDU party leader Friedrich Merz faces backlash for suggesting cooperation with far-right party AFD
Under Angela Merkel’s leadership, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) maintained a strict policy of not cooperating with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AFD) party. However, with Merkel’s successor Friedrich Merz at the helm, the party’s stance has begun to waver.
Merz’s recent interview on the TV channel ZDF caused an outcry within and outside the CDU when he expressed openness to cooperate with AFD at the local level. This statement came as AFD experienced significant success in local elections, prompting concerns about the party’s growing influence.
While Merz clarified that the party’s national policy of not collaborating with AFD still stands, some argue that the CDU’s guard against right-wing populism is slipping.
The situation in Germany mirrors a broader trend in Europe, where several democracies have abandoned firewalls against working with far-right parties. Germany, given its dark history with Nazism, has traditionally maintained a “cordon sanitaire” against the right, but cracks are beginning to appear.
Despite the German security police designating parts of the AFD as extremist and a threat to democracy, the party’s popularity has steadily increased over the past year. Opinion polls suggest that AFD would receive 20-22 percent of the votes if an election were held today, putting them in a close race with the Social Democrats to become the country’s second-largest party.
This rise in support for AFD has unsettled the CDU, especially as Merz pledged to halve the party’s backing for the far-right group when he took over from Merkel. Instead, AFD’s support has doubled, indicating that the party is resonating with voters on issues such as immigration and the transition to renewable energy.
Comparisons have been drawn to the situation in Sweden, where parties previously ruled out collaboration with the far-right Sweden Democrats. However, shifts in political dynamics led to a change in stance among some Swedish politicians. In Germany, societal sensitivities and historical baggage may slow down similar developments, but Merz finds himself in a position where he needs to form alliances to secure power.
While Merkel solved this dilemma by steering the CDU to the left and forming coalitions with the Social Democrats, Merz has taken a different approach. He has pushed the party further to the right, replacing Merkel’s allies with more conservative figures. Merz even described the CDU as “Alternative for Germany – with substance,” raising eyebrows and suggesting openness to collaboration with AFD in the future.
Merz’s statements have been seen by some as trial balloons to test public sentiment regarding cooperation with AFD. However, the outraged reactions both within and outside the CDU emphasize that the time for such collaboration has not yet arrived.
Germany is navigating a turbulent period where established truths are being questioned. The direction of development leans towards breaking the taboo of working with right-wing populists. However, it remains unclear how and when this shift will occur in a country that is supposed to be vaccinated against right-wing extremism due to its history.