BERLIN, GERMANY – In the wake of the start of soundings for a black-red coalition, SPD politicians welcome the establishment of CDU/CSU’s Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz, who will recommend to his faction not to elect an AfD representative as Vice President of the German Bundestag.
As long as the AfD can be considered as a securely right-extremist party, the election of an AfD representative to one of the highest state offices is not an option for us, said Lars Castellucci, the SPD’s parliamentary group leader, to the “Tagesspiegel”. It is to be welcomed if Friedrich Merz takes on the SPD’s stance here.
Ralf Stegner, a SPD Bundestag member, stated: “Friedrich Merz is taking a right and sensible step by excluding the election of an AfD representative as Vice President of the German Bundestag. This decision may help to fill the gap that has opened up with the vote of Union and AfD in January. For the SPD, no cooperation with right-extremists is an option.”
Merz had on Friday declined a Vice President post for the AfD in the newly elected Bundestag. “This is a state office” the CDU chair said to the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung”. He will not recommend to the Union’s parliamentary group to elect an AfD representative or a representative of the AfD to a state office.
The AfD, for the first time, became the second-strongest political force in Germany in the recent federal election. Traditionally, all factions nominate a Vice President of the German Bundestag. However, the right to vote is not given and all candidates must stand in a secret ballot in the plenum.