At the opening of the CDU’s federal convention, Manuel Hagel – the party’s lead candidate for the upcoming Baden‑Württemberg state election – delivered a forceful critique of the AfD. He warned that the AfD’s Europe and euro policy would spark poverty and large‑scale job cuts, framing the choice for voters as a stark “our side or theirs” confrontation. Hagel pledged that the Baden‑Württemberg CDU would never cooperate with or enter a coalition with the AfD. He described any joint voting with the party as “shabby” and said it would damage the region’s economic standing.
In recent polls, the CDU sits marginally ahead at around 29 %. The Greens and the AfD follow closely, each hovering between 20 % and 23 % and vying for second place.
