In a recent interview, Green party’s chancellor candidate Robert Habeck expressed concerns over the actions of Christian Social Union (CSU) leader Markus Söder, who he believes is hindering the election campaign of Union’s chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz. According to Habeck, Söder’s behavior is a significant handicap for Merz, as he did the same to Armin Laschet in the 2021 election.
Habeck views Söder as a politician who does not take himself seriously, and therefore, his words carry little weight. The Green party leader also warned the Union against forming an alliance with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), calling it the “end of the Union” if such a coalition were to happen. While he doubts the Union would take such a step, he finds it problematic that some Union members are echoing AfD’s rhetoric, rather than weakening the far-right by rejecting their views outright.