Germany’s CDU rejected the far right after a controversial debate

German opposition leader Friedrich Merz reiterated on Monday rejection of his partyChristian Democratic Union (CDU), of all kinds cooperation with the extreme right Alternative for Germany (AfD) after a debate sparked by some of his statements that were interpreted as an opening towards that party at the municipal level.

“To be clear once again. I never said otherwise: there will be no cooperation with the AfD at the municipal level,” Merz said on his Twitter, responding to criticism within his own party about some of his statements on German television.

Um es noch einmal klarzustellen, und ich habe es nie anders gesagt: Die Beschlusslage der @CDU gilded. Es wird auch auf kommunaler Ebene keine Zusammenarbeit der #CDU mit der AfD geben. (FM)

— Friedrich Merz (@_FriedrichMerz) July 24, 2023

Merz ruled out any cooperation in the legislature, but said that if the AfD wins the municipal elections, it must accept the democratic result and look for forms of cooperation.

“The issue of cooperation with the AfD (banned by the resolution of the CDU congress) affects legislative bodies. That is, the Bundestag (lower house of the federal parliament), regional parliaments and the European Parliament,” said Merz. In the case of AfD victories at the municipal level, he added, “these are democratic results that must be accept and naturally you have to to look for ways for municipal decisions in competent bodies”.

These statements provoked resistance within the CDU itself and its sister party, the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU). «The CSU refuses any cooperation with the AfD at any level. The AfD is anti-democratic, far-right and destroys social consensus. This is not in line with our values,” said CSU President and Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder.

Within the CDU, the mayor of Berlin Kai Wegner and the former prime minister of Saarland, Tobias Hans, among others, reacted to these statements by Merz on German television.

“CDU cannot and does not want to cooperate with a party whose social model is hatred and marginalization”, Wegner reacted on his Twitter to Merz’s statements.

Hans, for his part, reminded that there is a resolution of the party congress rejecting any cooperation with the AfD.

The vice president of the Bundestag, Yvonne Mangwas, was more decisive. “Even if it’s in the Bundestag or in the city hall, the far right is the far right. The extreme right is always an enemy for the Christian Democrats“, He said.

AfD currently has good results in polls and in East Germany it managed to elect a mayor and a district administrator.