afd Gains Prompt Concerns of More Minority Governments in germany
Berlin – Rising support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is increasing the likelihood of minority governments in several German states,according to CDU leader adn Hessian Prime Minister Boris Rhein. Rhein warned that forming stable coalitions is becoming increasingly challenging, perhaps leading to a future where governments rely on ad-hoc majorities.
The trend is already visible in Saxony, where a CDU-SPD minority government has been in power as december. With several state elections scheduled for next year, including one in Saxony-Anhalt where the AfD recently polled at around 40 percent, Rhein anticipates this situation could become more widespread, notably in eastern Germany.
rhein stressed the AfD’s success isn’t solely attributable to the CDU. He challenged the Social Democrats and Greens to examine their policies, asking, “What is actually going on with your politics and why does your politics actually mean that people can no longer form a coalition with you because you can’t get over the 5 percent hurdle?”
He indicated a CDU-CSU-FDP “black-yellow” coalition would be a more efficient governing model, but cautioned that policy differences – specifically citing the cannabis law, identity law, and faster naturalization processes – are creating friction. “If you are for the cannabis law and for the identity law, if you are for faster naturalization, then you are no longer the FDP with which we would like to form a coalition and which is also elected by the FDP voters,” rhein stated.
