A clear signal against the AfD: CDU General Secretary Linnemann rules out cooperation. He is confident of victory in the coming elections.
Berlin – There will be no cooperation between the CDU and AfD – CDU politicians emphasize this again and again. CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann also distinguishes himself sharply from the AfD and makes this clear in an interview with star clearly what he thinks of the party.
Björn Höcke described as a “Nazi”: Linnemann sharply distinguishes the CDU from the AfD
Linnemann accused the AfD of acting against the country's interests: “They have no interest in Germany doing well. At the AfD, the champagne corks pop when bankruptcies rise,” said the CDU general secretary. “I’m not interested in this party. They want exactly the opposite of what we want.”
When asked about the Thuringian AfD chairman Björn Höcke, Linnemann said in the Stern interview: “[Björn Höcke ist…]
… a Nazi.” The term “Nazi”, usually considered a legal insult, was recently apparently tolerated by the judicial authorities when it was applied to Björn Höcke. This is indicated by a decision made by the Hamburg public prosecutor's office taz reported. IPPEN.MEDIA has contacted the AfD regional association in Thuringia about Linnemann's current statements, but a request has so far remained unanswered.
CDU ahead of upcoming elections in Germany: minority government only without dependence on the AfD
Linnemann is not worried about the elections in the new federal states. “I want to win every game. And I want to win these elections too. One thing is clear: There is no cooperation with the AfD, not even over beer in the pub,” said Linnemann.
“There must not be a minority government that depends on the votes of the AfD. Period,” the CDU politician continued. In general, he does not rule out a CDU minority government, even with changing minorities: “In principle, you don't have to demonize every minority government. It can sometimes make sense for parties in the political center with changing majorities to work together on projects,” explains Linnemann. “That can work for a certain time, but it also makes governing more demanding.”
Criticism for the CDU for moving closer to the AfD – Linnemann reacts to the uproar after Merz's statement
Linnemann's harsh statements against working with the AfD follow the uproar last year. CDU chairman Friedrich Merz said ZDF– “Summer interview” 2023 that local politics is something different from state and federal politics: “We have to accept that. And of course the local parliaments must then look for ways to shape the city, the state and the district together.”
Strong criticism followed and Merz later asserted that there would be no cooperation between the parties. In September, the CDU came under criticism again after the Christian Democrats pushed through a tax cut with AfD support. (hk)
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