Berlin, 19th of March, 2023 – The leader of the Green Party, Felix Banaszak, has hinted at giving up on a potential black-green coalition if the CDU’s Friedrich Merz continues to show openness to cooperation with the AfD.
During an interview on Sunday at the party’s convention in Berlin, Banaszak told RTL and ntv that if Merz continues to prioritize working with the AfD to push through his policies, he will not find anyone to form a coalition with. It is crucial, Banaszak emphasized, for the CDU to clarify its relationship with the democratic center and the right-wing fringe. “I’m saying it clearly: We don’t want coalitions like in Austria”he stressed.
Regarding the current migration debate, Banaszak stated that there is no reason to compromise with Merz on this issue. The federal government has already made significant progress in migration policy, according to Banaszak. “It was the CDU under Friedrich Merz that in the federal council hindered and watered down the security package, which we had agreed upon in the federal government”he added, referencing the party’s recent actions in the federal council.