Germany, Merz rules out agreements with AfD: ‘No collaboration’

The leader of the Cdu closes to any understanding with the extreme right in view of the elections on 23 February. The ‘cordon sanitaire’ line against AfD confirmed, while mobilisation grows in Berlin

The leader of the Cdu, Friedrich Merz, firmly reiterated that there will be no collaboration with the far-right party AfD in the run-up to the regional elections on 23 February. ‘We are fighting for majorities in the centre of our democratic system,’ he told reporters on the sidelines of a visit to the centre that will host the Cdu congress.

Asked about the possibility of accepting AfD votes in order to obtain a majority, Merz answered with a clear ‘no’, guaranteeing him ‘personally’.
His statements come as a large demonstration is being prepared in Berlin against the extreme right and in defence of the so-called ‘Brandmauer’, the cordon sanitaire that the main democratic parties maintain to isolate AfD.

Merz also criticised the current political situation, attributing the difficulties in achieving majorities in parliament to the collapse of the traffic light government. The conservative leader also announced the presentation of a ‘sofort programm’, an immediate action plan of the CHD, which includes stricter measures on immigration after his bill on the matter was rejected in the Bundestag.

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