Dennis Radtke, head of the CDU’s Arbeitnehmer‑Flügel, has taken a stand against the increasingly harsh criticism of the Greens that can be found in parts of the Union. “I’m not a fan of Green‑bashing” Radtke told the weekly “Die Zeit”. “I have clear reasons for being in the CDU and not with the Greens, but I do not think that the Greens are deliberately trying to harm Germany. That is the narrative of the AfD”.
During the federal election campaign the Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) was especially outspoken in rejecting a partnership with the Greens. Radtke, a member of the conservative group in the European Parliament, said that differing positions on specific policy matters are normal. “The real question is whether there’s a shared foundation and a common vision of where we want to go. And there is a basis for that”.
In his work in parliament Radtke stresses a clear boundary on the far‑right. “I avoid any collaboration with far‑right forces” he affirmed. “I also make sure the left, especially any communist elements, have no leeway to influence decisions before the right‑wing moves through anything”.