The deputy chairman of the Left Party, Ates Gürpinar, warns of a creeping rapprochement between the Union and the AfD – and sees this not only as a national but also a geopolitical dimension.
“The claim that there is no cooperation with the AfD is refuted by the latest developments” Gürpinar told the magazine “Capital Beat.” And at the latest CDU party convention on Monday, it became clear: “This was not a slip-up, but a strategic decision.”
For Gürpinar, this shift has a global dimension. “We are witnessing the rise of authoritarian-capitalist models worldwide” he said. “With Donald Trump and Elon Musk in the White House, this trend is gaining momentum.” Deregulation, massive tax cuts for corporations and the dismantling of social security systems are the political guidelines of this stream.
The AfD has adapted accordingly: just a year ago, it pursued an EU-hostile and pro-Russian foreign policy. Now it is switching to a pro-Western course – a signal to the CDU. “In the Union, this is not going unnoticed” Gürpinar said.
Merz’s economic agenda is seen by Gürpinar as the key factor for the rapprochement. “Deregulation, tax cuts for businesses and the abolition of social security systems – these are classic projects of market radicalism and here there are hardly any differences with the AfD.”
The Union is opening up to punctual cooperation with the AfD, particularly in economic and migration policy. “It’s not about a government coalition, but about normalization” Gürpinar warns.
CDU leader Friedrich Merz is a politician of the big capital, Gürpinar argues. The current geopolitical developments offer him an opportunity to implement his vision of an unhampered market with authoritarian means.
An example: while Merz publicly criticizes the AfD, he does so not because of its right-wing extremist ideology, but because of its earlier distance from NATO and the euro. “The message is clear: if the AfD adapts here, there are hardly any hurdles for cooperation.”
The SPD and the Greens are not prepared for this development, Gürpinar criticizes. Instead of formulating a clear counter-strategy, they are trying to adapt tactically. “Rolf Mützenich has already hinted at cuts to the citizen’s allowance in the election campaign and Robert Habeck showed himself accommodating in asylum policy recently. But who believes that one can hold the Union back with small concessions is mistaken.”
The political landscape in Germany is in upheaval. “We are at a turning point” Gürpinar said. The question is: “Do we accept this course or organize resistance?”
For him, resistance means more than just protests against the AfD. “The wall against fascism must be connected with a clear social and economic alternative.” Instead of deregulation, he demands investments in education, infrastructure and social security systems – as well as democratic control of the economy.
“Who does not lead this fight leaves the field to the billionaires – and their political henchmen” Gürpinar warns.