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With a view to the state elections in the East, Friedrich Merz relativizes his rejection of the BSW. The Union should not comment on the Wagenknecht coalition.
Berlin – CDU leader Friedrich Merz clearly declared himself against cooperation with the alliance Sarah Wagenknecht (BSW). With a view to the state elections in Thuringia, Saxony and Brandenburg, he now seems to have spontaneously changed his mind.
After a meeting of the CDU leadership, Merz imposed a gag order on his state executive committees. Before the elections, no one should comment on possible coalition partners. The reason for this is the complicated situation before the state elections, in which the AfD According to polls, high election results are predicted. If the Union wants to govern, it may have to enter into uncomfortable coalitions.
Before state elections in the East: Merz muzzles CDU on coalition with BSW
And this is where the BSW comes in. For example, in the state elections in Saxony, the Wagenknecht party third strongest force with 15 percent according to polls behind AfD and CDU. If Merz wants his party to participate in government, he may have to agree to a BSW coalition. After the European elections, Merz had already declared that he no longer ruled out cooperation with the BSW, the mp3.
The CDU leader wants to keep the ball rolling on the BSW coalition issue Picture However, he wanted to keep his comments to a minimum and therefore imposed a muzzle on his party colleagues. The regional executive committees are not to speak publicly about a possible collaboration. The fear is too great that loyal CDU voters would not be able to cope with coalition ideas with a former Left Party. In addition, the discretion could delay internal and public debates about a CDU strategy after the election.
In June, Merz described BSW as “left-wing extremist and right-wing extremist”
Despite everything, Friedrich Merz’s sudden reticence towards the BSW is astonishing. In June he had clearly spoken out against cooperation. Merz had spoken out less than four weeks ago in a ARD-“Brennpunkt” rejects a possible coalition of his party in a federal state with the BSW expressed.
When asked whether he was prepared to discuss a Cooperation or coalition with the BSW Merz said that he was thinking about preventing AfD minister presidents 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.” He added that both apply to Wagenknecht: “She is right-wing extremist on some issues, but left-wing extremist on others.” Merz stressed: “We want to win majorities.”
Situation in the polls: After state elections, Merz also has his sights set on federal elections
If Merz, as a possible candidate for chancellor of the Union, is already eyeing the federal elections, the picture looks no different. The BSW can ARD-“Germany trend” increased significantly. The BSW gained three percentage points in the survey published on Thursday (4 July) and is now at eight percent.
Around half a year after the party was founded, 38 percent of Germans would be in favour of the Sahra Wagenknecht alliance being involved in state governments in the future; 46 percent would not be in favour of this. In the eastern German states, where three state elections are due in September, according to afp A future participation of the BSW in government is supported by a majority of 55 percent; however, 29 percent would not be in favor of such participation. (lm/afp/dpa)
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