Daniel Peters, the CDU’s lead candidate for Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern, rejected every possibility of working with the AfD. “I rule that out completely” he told the news magazine “Politico” when asked whether he would consider coalition or tolerance models after the state election.
Peters explained that the AfD is not a reliable political partner, calling it a “chaos unit” dominated by radical forces that act in a “totally arbitrary and populist” manner, and therefore cannot be a partner for the CDU.
At the same time, he did not categorically rule out a government participation or tolerance with the SPD and the Left. For him the decisive factor is a shift in policy in the state, not the personalities involved. “Everything depends on whether the SPD is ready to support a change in policy” he said. The CDU will continue to engage with the existing majority configurations. A recent poll shows the AfD at 35 percent in Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern, the SPD at 25 percent, the CDU at 13 percent and the Left at 12 percent.
Peters urged caution in interpreting the numbers. “Polls are snapshots” he said. The campaign still has months left, and what matters are the substantive issues and whether a policy change can be achieved.
He outlined a content‑focused call for change, especially in economic, educational and health policy. He criticized the current state government for looking “only at Berlin” celebrating what he sees as nonexistent successes, and clinging to excessive bureaucracy. “We have a left‑leaning government that simply pursues leftist politics” Peters stated.