AfD's Weidel Eyes CDU Alliance for Upcoming State Elections, Despite Skepticism from Party Candidates
Alice Weidel, leader of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, has expressed her views on potential political alliances in the upcoming state elections. She believes the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is a possible partner, while her party's top candidates in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania hold differing opinions.
The state election in Saxony-Anhalt is set to take place two weeks before that of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, on September 20, 2026. Weidel thinks the Union is 'stuck in a dead end' without cooperation with AfD. She sees a 'transformed CDU' after the leadership of Merz as a potential partner and believes the CDU and CSU will cooperate with AfD in the future.
AfD's top candidate in Saxony-Anhalt, Ulrich Siegmund, is skeptical about a CDU coalition next year, stating that Minister President Reiner Haseloff is 'keeping the firewall high' with AfD. Meanwhile, AfD's top candidate for Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Leif-Erik Holm, expects the Union to open up. Weidel believes the CDU will eventually realize the current path is unsustainable.
In both states, the most likely future coalition partner of the AfD would be the CDU, with around 45 percent of CDU members in eastern Germany not ruling out cooperation. However, a coalition including the Left Party is considered unlikely due to the CDU's unification rules. Despite this, the CDU officially rejects cooperation with the AfD.
As the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania approach, the AfD's leader and top candidates share differing views on potential alliances with the CDU. While Weidel sees a transformed CDU as a possible partner, her party's candidates in the respective states hold more skeptical views. The CDU, however, maintains its official stance against cooperation with the AfD.
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