German politician Markus Söder, leader of the Christian Social Union (CSU), warned his party’s voters not to give their support to the political opposition in the upcoming federal election. Speaking at the CSU party convention in Nürnberg, Söder emphasized that “we have nothing to spare” and urged voters not to cast “leihstimmen” (lending votes) to the Free Democratic Party (FDP) or “mitleidsstimmen” (pity votes) to the Free Voters. He emphasized the importance of securing both the first and second votes for the CSU, as only the party can bring about change in Germany for the benefit of Bavaria.
Söder also distanced himself from the Alternative for Germany (AfD), stating that there would be no cooperation with the party. He likened the CSU to a “Schutzwall” (protection wall) and a “Brandmauer” (firewall) against the AfD, warning that if the left-green coalition continued, the AfD would eventually take over. The CSU leader accused the AfD of having an “gesichert Rechtsextremismus” (secured right-wing extremism) and claimed that some of its members were “sittlich und moralisch nicht geeignet” (not suitable in a moral and ethical sense) to lead a country, justifying the need to combat the AfD in the interest of the CSU’s own values.