CDU avoids divisive debate on far-left and far-right alliances ahead of elections
CDU Conference Agenda Runs Over 400 Pages—But the Big Questions Are Missing
The CDU's party conference agenda spans more than 400 pages, covering every conceivable topic—from the much-debated "lifestyle part-time work" proposal to calls for a dues-free first year for members under 25.
Yet one issue is conspicuously absent: a motion to revisit the 2018 resolution declaring the AfD and the Left Party (Linke) incompatible as coalition partners. That omission is striking, because the need for clarity has never been greater. When elections are held in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania this September, even fragile alliances like Thuringia's so-called Brombeere ("Blackberry") coalition may fail to secure a majority. The CDU will then have to decide how to move forward.
Speculation is already swirling about possible scenarios. On the party's right flank, some point to overlapping policy positions with the AfD, arguing that cooperation could help push through a more "pure" CDU agenda. Others suggest that bringing the far-right party into the fold might "demystify" it. Meanwhile, a number of CDU politicians—citing the AfD's fascist tendencies—flatly reject any collaboration. As for the Left Party, a few voices, including Schleswig-Holstein's Minister-President Daniel Günther, have suggested easing the incompatibility rule.
In short, the CDU has plenty to debate. In a democratic party, a conference would be the natural place for such discussions—an opportunity to hold an orderly debate and adopt a clear, written resolution. Yet this weekend in Stuttgart, the CDU is avoiding that conversation entirely. It simply doesn't fit the script. The outcome would be unpredictable, and it certainly wouldn't send the desired signal of unity or support for the chancellor and the party's state branches ahead of key elections.
But the CDU needs this debate—and the country would benefit from clarity on the issue. Claiming to reject both the far left and far right while leaving the question unresolved falls far short of the "responsibility" the party has emblazoned on its conference motto. An incompatibility resolution was never meant to be a permanent shield. Sooner or later, the CDU will have to confront the question head-on.
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