The leader of the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), Sahra Wagenknecht, has suggested that the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) should consider potential coalition partnerships with the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. In an interview with the German news outlet “Welt” on Saturday, Wagenknecht posited that the CDU has a vested interest in exploring such collaborations, particularly given the evolving political landscape in eastern Germany.
Wagenknecht criticized the current approach to the AfD, arguing that in a democratic system, parties elected by a significant portion of the electorate – currently around a fifth of the national vote and a third in the eastern regions – cannot be simply disregarded. She suggested that alternative strategies, applied in the past, might have prevented the AfD’s current level of influence.
Furthermore, Wagenknecht cautioned that attempts to form broad, multi-party coalitions explicitly designed to exclude the AfD would be counterproductive. She argued that constructing such coalitions, often characterized by a lack of cohesion due to fundamental policy differences, ultimately strengthens the AfD by driving support towards a perceived outsider. She implied that such efforts unintentionally amplify the party’s appeal.