Debate about new elections and coalition options in Germany

AfD leader Weidel is in favor of new elections in view of the federal government's crisis. “In view of the desolate state of the coalition, in our view new elections would be the cleanest solution,” Weidel told the news portal “The Pioneer” according to a report on Monday. “The sovereign must now decide who should lead the country out of the crisis.” Your party is ready for this, said Weidel.

When asked whether the AfD would tolerate a minority government under a possible chancellor Markus Söder (CSU) or Hendrik Wüst (CDU), Weidel said her party was “remaining willing to shake hands with anyone and enter into serious discussions if it serves the good of the country.”

The prerequisites are a “genuine and consistent change in migration”, a departure from the previous energy policy and a return to “sound financial management,” said the head of the partly right-wing extremist party. Whether Söder or Wüst would be willing to do this as possible “pretenders for chancellor in view of the walls they themselves have built is another matter,” Weidel added.

Almost a week before the state elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, a deputy CDU district chairman there confirmed, contrary to the wishes of the state party leadership, that he considers a coalition with the AfD to be a possible option. "We have to be open and look for the coalition partner who is possible and best for us. That can of course also be the AfD if that's what the voters want," said Sascha Ott, vice-chairman of the CDU Vorpommern-Greifswald district executive, to the "Ostsee-Zeitung".

Ott had already made headlines several times. After the state elections in 2016, his party initially nominated him for the office of justice minister, but withdrew the proposal after Ott was suspected of sympathizing with AfD positions.

The parliamentary managing director of the SPD parliamentary group, Dirk Wiese, has rejected the accusation that Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig is campaigning against federal policy in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. "We don't always have to agree this morning. That's why I disagree very clearly," said Wiese in an interview with WELT TV.

Schwesig simply pointed out a situation that is particularly relevant in the new federal states: there, the statutory pension is the most important security for many citizens because company and private pension provision does not exist to the same extent as in the West. The SPD will take this point seriously in parliamentary deliberations.

When asked about the situation in the federal government, Wiese said: "One has the impression that the nerves within the CDU are on edge at the moment. But I can once again really appeal to the coalition partner to get back on track now and to do things better together with us. Markus Söder also said yesterday that we ultimately want to lead this coalition to success."

CSU regional group leader Alexander Hoffmann does not believe in dismissing SPD leader Bärbel Bas as Federal Labor Minister. “Bärbel Bas certainly looks at the issues from a different perspective and possibly with a different lens,” Hoffmann told Politico. "Our democracy is designed to function through coalitions - and we rightly chose the SPD. Everyone has to work on themselves. And I see that with Bärbel Bas too."

Hoffmann said the coalition had proven something with the new basic security. “It has to continue in exactly the same way,” said the CSU politician. "The most important lesson from the last few months is that whenever we simply do our work, take care of the reforms, the poll numbers are more stable. And whenever we attract attention through self-preoccupation, through the fact that we are perhaps perceived as a bunch of chickens discussing wildly, then the voters don't appreciate that."

The CSU politician rejects chancellor exchange scenarios. “We have to do what needs to be done now,” said Hoffmann. "Of course, a decision has to be made about who the right candidate is for the next federal election. But people expect us to implement the things that need to be changed now."

Volker Beck, President of the German-Israeli Society, wrote to the Berlin regional associations of the SPD and the Greens. Addressing their top candidates for the upcoming House of Representatives election, Steffen Krach and Werner Graf, Beck calls for a public rejection of a possible red-green-red alliance. “I call on you to declare bindingly that you will not enter into a coalition with the Die Linke Berlin party,” the letter says.

“The Left tolerates and promotes anti-Semitism in its ranks and specifically collects the votes of anti-Semitic resentment in the election campaign,” argues Beck. Among other things, he refers to the appearance of the rapper Dahabflex during the election campaign in Neukölln and his slogans “Yalla Yalla Intifada” and “Death to the IDF”. The Neukölln district association of the Left showed solidarity instead of distancing themselves.

The federal treasurer of the Junge Union, Clara von Nathusius (CDU), appeared open to talks with the far-right party after the AfD's victory in the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt. “I think that if we are invited, we should first talk to everyone,” said von Nathusius on Sunday in the ARD program “Report from Berlin”. Then we have to see what “actually comes out” of such discussions, she added. "I think we have clear standards for what the CDU stands for. And they are different at the federal and state levels."

The JU politician described the AfD firewall as “a failed project”. The CDU has only spent the past few years defining “who or what we are against and not defining what we stand for,” said von Nathusius, who is a member of the federal board of the CDU youth organization. The Union “urgently needs to get there now”.

Von Nathusius sharply criticized Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU). The Union has a credibility problem and that is also due to Merz. “And that’s why I unfortunately believe that elections can no longer be won with this Chancellor.”

A week before the state elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, BSW founder Sahra Wagenknecht called for tactical voting for her party there. “Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania can overthrow Merz,” Wagenknecht told the news portal t-online. “If we move in and the CDU is thrown out of the state parliament, Merz will be history,” she said, referring to Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

A second goal of the BSW in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is to prevent red-red-green. Wagenknecht advocated the election of a non-partisan prime minister in the state parliament, who should govern with alternating majorities. “Also including the AfD,” emphasized Wagenknecht.

In current surveys in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the BSW stands at four percent. That wouldn't be enough to enter the state parliament in Schwerin Castle. The CDU was recently at 7 percent, Alliance 90/The Greens at 5 percent. The state election will take place on September 20th.

A spokesman for the federal government has rejected speculation about a possible minority government of the Union under Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) as “completely out of thin air”. “The Chancellor wants to implement the agreed reforms in the coalition as quickly as possible and expects discipline and stability from everyone,” said the spokesman for the German Press Agency.

A few days before the election for the Berlin House of Representatives next Sunday, Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is campaigning for the SPD. He first takes part in an event in the constituency of SPD Economics Senator Franziska Giffey in Rudow. It should be about security and defense.

The SPD has to stretch hard in the election campaign for the House of Representatives. In two current surveys commissioned by ARD and ZDF, the party was recently in fifth place with 10 to 12 percent. In addition, top candidate Krach has been facing investigations by the Hanover public prosecutor's office for several days, which have to do with his previous work as regional president in Hanover.