Thuringia’s Primeโข ministerโค Mario Voigt is urging the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) to shift โฃits focusโ away from โขthe Option for โขGermany (AfD), arguing that constant discussion surroundingโข the far-right โฃparty is detrimental to the CDU’s โขown political positioning. Voigt’sโ comments come amid internal โคdebate within the โCDU regarding strategy ahead of key state electionsโ next year.
The CDU currently holds significant power across Germany, providing the Chancellor, โคeight state governors, โa third of city mayors, andโ two-thirds of district administrators, accordingโค to Voigt.โข He believes the party โshould confidently assert its roleโค as the leading โคforce in the country, rather than continuallyโ reacting to the AfD’s political maneuvers. This debate unfolds as the AfD โgains โขtraction in opinion polls, โคprompting โdiscussions on howโ best to โcounter โits influence.
Voigt dismissed the conceptโ of a “firewall” against โthe โAfD, labelingโข it “unsuitable,” โ”fear-driven,” and “passive.” He stated, “This constantโข circling around theโ AfD as a reference point is destroying โus.” He called for “a positive basic sound across the country again,”โ contrasting it with what heโ described as the AfD’s “foul โฃmood.”
The CDU leadership recently convened a closed-door meeting two weeks ago to address the AfD challenge. During the meeting, CDU leaderโฃ Friedrich Merz committed the party to directly confronting the AfD in anticipation of the โupcoming state elections. Merz acknowledged theโ AfD isโ highlyโ likely to be their โค”main opponent” and โขreaffirmedโค the CDU’s refusal to โcooperate with the party, citing a formal incompatibility resolution. He alsoโ warned that the โAfD “declaredly wants โtoโข destroy” the โฃCDU.