Veteran SPD figure Gregor Gysi expressed hope for the end of the Union’s ruling party’s determination of incompatibility with The Left. Speaking to the SZ magazine, he stated, “We protect the Union more than the AfD can”. Gysi believes the defensive “firewall” separating the Union from The Left is more likely to weaken than the barrier separating it from the AfD. “I hope this is true, for society and also for the Union” he added.
In contrast, former CSU leader Horst Seehofer defended the Union’s firewall, asserting it applies equally to both the right and the left. He countered the political shift by declaring, “The Left stands for socialism-and socialism has always meant less prosperity and less freedom”. When asked by the magazine about which political figure he sees offering the most hope for the future among the current political cohort, Seehofer named Cem Özdemir.
