Former German President Christian Wulff has advised CDU Chairman Friedrich Merz not to rule out coalitions with the Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) coalition in principle. He believes it is “wrong and also not helpful if this comes from the federal party,” said Wulf on the ARD talk show “Maischberger.”
The “state parties must essentially make decisions autonomously in their states,” said the former CDU Prime Minister of Lower Saxony (2003-2010). “Just as Mr Merz will not allow anyone to interfere if he wants to put together a new government majority with the Greens and the FDP tomorrow.”
After the state elections in Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg in September, the CDU must explore with whom it can form a coalition. “It cannot be the AfD, it cannot be the Left Party. I think further exclusions would be a mistake,” Wulff explained. The CDU has ruled out coalitions and similar forms of cooperation with the AfD or the Left Party by resolution of its party conference.
Merz was asked on Monday evening on ARD whether he was prepared to consider a collaboration or coalition with the BSW in order to prevent AfD prime ministers in the east. “That is absolutely clear, we have always said that. We do not work with such right-wing and left-wing extremist parties,” Merz replied. For Wagenknecht, “she is right-wing extremist on some issues, but left-wing extremist on others.”
When asked on Tuesday, he said that there was “no overlap in politics with this group at all,” adding: “We will have to look at everything else in the light of election results.”