Merz due to the “difficult confrontation” with the AfD in the 2024 election year

The leader of the Christian Democratic Union party rules out cooperation with the party.

CDU leader Friedrich Merz wants to seek an offensive confrontation with the AfD in the important election year of 2024. “We will go into these elections with a very clear and very difficult fight,” he said on Saturday at the end of a closed meeting of the CDU’s executive board in Heidelberg. “Especially against the Alternative for Germany party.”

Merz stressed that this is not an East German issue specifically, but rather an issue that includes the whole of Germany, given the European elections on June 9 and the state elections in Brandenburg, Thuringia and Saxony in the fall. It is the responsibility of all political center parties to engage with the AfD.

The same is expected from the Social Democratic Party, the Free Democratic Party and the Green Party. The head of the Christian Democratic Union party explained that his party will focus intensely on the European policy of the Alternative for Germany party, its position on Russia and economic policy. There is sympathy for the AfD among medium-sized companies and other business people. They will be told: “Please take a close look at who you might be voting for. “This is not the party that will advance this country economically.”

“Disgusting political topics”

Regarding the well-known meeting of right-wing and extremist activists in Potsdam, Merz said that they would not tolerate CDU members joining these people in any way and “discussing such disgusting political topics.”

He added, “It is completely unlikely that we will work with the Alternative for Germany party in any way.” If the Union of Conservative Values ​​group does not constitute itself as a party, it will present a resolution at the party conference that CDU membership would be incompatible.