German Federal Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir (Greens) has appealed to the Union parties in the face of the dispute over the CDU/CSU’s Bundestag proposals on migration policy, not to succumb to panic in the face of the AfD.
“The democratic center of our country must stand firm against populists and, at the same time, address the causes of their rise as far as possible” Özdemir told the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland”. “This can only succeed in the face of the serious crisis in which Western democracies find themselves, if it is done together and in a pro-European manner.”
Özdemir, who will run as the top candidate of his party in the Baden-Württemberg state election in the spring of 2026, added: “The CDU, particularly with its European policy history, must not let Europe waver out of sheer panic in the face of the AfD. If one questions the common Europe, others will follow. There is a real danger that Europe will break apart. Only the populists who want to destroy our democratic order would profit from this. All democrats must now contribute to keeping Germany stable in the center.