Merz Rules Out Cooperation with AfD in Federal Government Again - CDU rejects far-right AfD coalition despite election gains in Baden-Württemberg
The CDU has firmly shut the door on any collaboration with the far-right AfD in Baden-Württemberg. After the state election on 8 March 2026, party leader Friedrich Merz reiterated his refusal to work with the AfD, despite their growing influence. The AfD had pushed for a conservative alliance, but CDU officials at both national and regional levels rejected the idea outright.
The AfD made significant gains in Baden-Württemberg's election, nearly doubling its vote share from 9.7% in 2021 to around 17.5–18% this year. The party campaigned as a conservative alternative to the Green-led government, opposing welfare policies like Bürgergeld for criminals and rejecting wealth taxes. Co-chair Alice Weidel framed the result as a victory against the establishment, while candidate Markus Frohnmaier called for a CDU-AfD majority.
In response, CDU leader Friedrich Merz dismissed any possibility of cooperation. He ruled out seeking a different Bundestag majority and declared there was no common ground between the two parties. Manuel Hagel, the CDU's top candidate in Baden-Württemberg, also refused AfD support to become minister-president. Merz's stance remained consistent: no alliances with the far-right, regardless of electoral shifts.
The AfD's overtures were swiftly rejected. Frohnmaier had offered to form a coalition, but Merz's refusal left no room for negotiation. The CDU's position reflects a broader strategy to distance itself from the AfD, even as the latter gains traction in regional politics.
The CDU's rejection of the AfD closes the door on any short-term coalition in Baden-Württemberg. With the AfD's vote share rising, the decision reinforces the CDU's boundary against far-right collaboration. For now, the state's political landscape remains divided, with the Greens and CDU maintaining their opposition to AfD influence.
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