EPP Group chair Weber calls for reviewing AfD isolation — Interia
In Germany, Manfred Weber, chairman of the European People's Party Group in the European Parliament and a representative of Bavaria's Christian Social Union, called for a review of the Christian Democratic Union's and CSU's strict policy of political distancing from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Interia reported this, citing Weber's interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.
Weber said that the “either them or us” barrier should be left in the past. In his view, the current concept of political isolation has not worked. As an example, the politician cited France, where President Emmanuel Macron, according to Weber, had positioned himself against Marine Le Pen for ten years.
Discussion in the CDU
The debate within Germany's Christian democracy is taking place ahead of the CDU presidency meeting scheduled for October 11. The party's federal congress adopted a decision in 2018 that rules out coalitions and similar forms of cooperation with both the AfD and the Left party. This approach was intended to limit the AfD's influence.
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Weber believes that political distancing cannot replace political work. According to him, in Thuringia and Saxony, where minority governments are in place, the CDU/CSU regularly votes together with left-wing parties. At the same time, the AfD puts individual CDU proposals to a vote, but the Christian Democrats vote against them because of the current principle of distancing.
Proposals on red lines
Florian Oest, a CDU member of the Bundestag from Saxony, told Welt am Sonntag that strict decisions on incompatibility with the AfD do not produce results. Guido Heuer, a member of the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament, also proposed defining red lines instead of the so-called “firewall” and focusing on the substance of decisions.
Heuer stressed that he considers coalitions with the AfD or the Left impossible. At the same time, he sees no problem if these parties support a CDU initiative aimed at improving people's situation.
