German politician Ines Schwerdtner, from the Left party, has described CDU leader Friedrich Merz as “Trump of the Sauerland”. According to Schwerdtner, Merz intends to push for additional military spending of 200 billion euros and disregard international arrest warrants, posing a threat to the civil society. The party chairperson expressed her concerns, stating that she is worried about what Merz might do once in office.
Co-chairperson Jan van Aken also criticized Merz’s actions, claiming that the CDU leader makes politics for the rich and against the majority of the people. According to van Aken, Merz only cares about rules that benefit him and when people protest, he insults and threatens them. The Left politician also condemned the decision to cut funding for organizations that protest against cooperation with fascists, calling it a direct attack on democracy.