CDU discusses how to deal with the AfD

After the CDU's painful series of defeats in the elections in Saxony-Anhalt, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Berlin, the Presidium wants to discuss on Sunday and Monday how things should proceed in terms of content and strategy. In particular, people's everyday problems should be given more attention.

The party has lost most of the votes to the AfD, which is why a delicate question is now becoming more and more central: Should we stick to the “firewall” or weaken it? Union politicians have different views on this.

Manfred Weber, the head of the European conservatives, believes the concept has failed. In an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung, the CSU deputy leader called for the sharp political demarcation with the AfD to be softened. "The firewall in the sense of 'them or us' must be history," said the group leader of the European People's Party in the European Parliament.

The fact that the previous firewall concept has failed can be seen most clearly in France. Although President Emmanuel Macron has said "Le Pen or me" for years, it is not unlikely that he will have to hand over the keys to the Élysée Palace to the right-wing extremist Marine Le Pen, said Weber.

“It is a huge burden for us as a Union if we constantly vote with left-wing parties in the state parliaments where we have minority governments, Thuringia and Saxony, and thus pursue even more left-wing politics,” said Weber. Conversely, the AfD puts the CDU's content up for vote, but the CDU is forced to vote against it.

With a view to Saxony-Anhalt, Weber said that AfD top candidate Ulrich Siegmund must first come into office. But: "We have to get out of the pure discussion of rejection (...). If we really talk about content, we will disenchant the AfD." At the same time, Weber said that because of their views, the AfD was not just a political opponent, but “our political enemy.”

The Saxon CDU member of the Bundestag Florian Oest told Welt am Sonntag: "The rigid incompatibility resolutions are not moving us forward." He cited "the Christian view of humanity, the social market economy, freedom and responsibility for weaker people as well" as guiding principles. Anyone who has this inner compass does not orientate themselves on others.

So far, the so-called incompatibility decision has prohibited any coalition and cooperation, both with the AfD and with the Left Party. The Saxony-Anhalt CDU state parliament member Guido Heuer told Welt am Sonntag: "We have walled ourselves in with the fire wall, but behind it the fire continues." Although he still considers coalitions with the AfD and the Left Party to be out of the question, if the CDU drafts a resolution "that leads to real improvements for the people, then that will be fine if the AfD and the Left agree."

The CSU chairman Markus Söder also recently said in the ARD program “Maischberger”: “Just saying: firewall, firewall, firewall – that won’t work.” Instead, you have to go into duels more and address content.

However, the CDU board is much more cautious. According to Welt am Sonntag, parliamentary group vice-president Günter Krings sees no reason to weaken the "firewall": "I think it's a risky thesis that the AfD would not have grown without our incompatibility decision."