Roland Koch defends Friedrich Merz and shows understanding for the AfD ban debate

The former Prime Minister of Hesse, Roland Koch (CDU), defended Chancellor Friedrich Merz against criticism of his appearance. At the same time, after the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt, he expressed his understanding for the ongoing debate about a possible ban on the AfD.

“Of course Friedrich Merz’s popularity has an influence on elections,” Koch told the news magazine “Focus”. “But it’s too easy to blame everything on a top official.” Instead, we need to talk about the deeper causes of political developments. “I maintain that Friedrich Merz would be praised for his performance if things were going well in politics,” continued Koch.

When asked whether the Chancellor was being unfairly criticized, the CDU politician replied: "How such a widespread misunderstanding about Friedrich Merz's personality could have arisen is a mystery to me. He is anything but unempathetic, he is an open, helpful family man." The public has a distorted image of the Chancellor, said Koch.

With regard to the AfD, the former Prime Minister appeared open to the ongoing ban debate after the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt. “I was always against it, but now I’m torn about it,” said Koch. What deters him from a ban procedure is the expected duration. “An application for a ban before the Federal Constitutional Court does not happen overnight,” the CDU politician was quoted as saying.

There will be a situation for four or five years in which the issue will be discussed. “AfD voters would then possibly accuse them of wanting to suppress them.” At the same time, Koch emphasized that he still believes that the AfD can be defeated politically. Nevertheless, he has great understanding for the discussion about a ban and assumes that it will not end any time soon.

The party is a danger to the Union: “The AfD is destroying the basic beliefs of the CDU and the foundations of our coexistence,” said Koch.

North Rhine-Westphalia's Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst is calling for a federal-state working group on the constitutional handling of the AfD and possible consequences. This review must be open-ended and should not automatically lead to a ban, says the CDU politician. The AfD is being monitored nationwide by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution as a suspected case. Individual state associations - including Saxony-Anhalt - are classified as definitely right-wing extremist by the respective state Office for the Protection of the Constitution.