SPD’s Alexander Schweitzer Commends Merz’s Rejection of AfD Alliance, Highlights Internal CDU Divisions
The Social Democratic Party (SPD) has welcomed the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader Friedrich Merz’s unequivocal rejection of a potential alliance with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). SPD deputy chairman and Rhineland-Palatinate’s Minister President Alexander Schweitzer, in remarks published Tuesday, characterized the CDU’s stance as crucial for maintaining the stability of a potential grand coalition government.
However, Schweitzer expressed concern regarding the apparent lack of consistent messaging within the CDU itself. He suggested that while Merz’s position offers clarity, achieving a unified stance on distancing the party from what he described as a “partially assured right-wing extremist party” remains elusive, with a “multitude of voices” undermining that clarity.
The SPD, Schweitzer stated, observes a critical distinction between the AfD’s political agenda and the individual voters who support it. “We do not condemn the people who – for whatever reasons – sympathize with the AfD, but we condemn the policies of the AfD” he emphasized, labeling the party as “ethnic nationalist” “manipulative” and “state-destabilizing.
While condemning the AfD’s ideology, Schweitzer underscored the SPD’s conviction that those who currently support the party are not irredeemable to democratic principles. “My belief is: AfD voters are not lost to the democratic spectrum. It is worthwhile to fight for every person and to bring them back into the democratic spectrum” he said, signaling a strategy aimed at winning back disillusioned voters rather than outright demonization. This approach subtly raises questions about the CDU’s own voter base and the potential for broader ideological shifts within German politics.
