Minister of Culture Wolfram Weimer termed the AfD’s success in Saxony-Anhalt a “unique event,” stating in the “Alles gesagt?” podcast of Der Zeit that he doesn’t believe the party will achieve such results anywhere again. Weimer further predicted that the AfD would perform significantly worse in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and even more poorly in Berlin.
Regarding the CDU, Weimer anticipates that they will run Friedrich Merz as their candidate for the next Bundestag election. He believes this is contingent on the governing coalition emerging from a phase of necessary restructuring and repair. Once that dynamic is established, he suggests, it will be the natural order of events. While acknowledging that Merz is currently facing a difficult situation, Weimer praised him as a “marathon man” possessing “great inner resilience” and embodying a “comeback.”
Looking back at the January 2025 Bundestag vote-where Merz, as opposition leader, pushed through a migration policy motion with the support of the AfD-Weimer retrospectively viewed the action critically, considering it a mistake. Nevertheless, he stressed that the Union must navigate the current shifting majority dynamics, noting that the question is not simply one of ignoring them. He added that while the Union has never been a fan of the “firewall” vocabulary, they have always acted in principle to uphold its intent, confirming his continued commitment to the “firewall” team.
Concerning the controversial Haber case, which led his ministry to exclude three left-leaning bookstores from the German Book Award, Weimer showed a willingness to embrace change. He stated, “I would prefer it if this were codified into a dedicated law, bringing more transparency to that process.”
When reflecting on his first year in office, Weimer admitted that the previous winter was genuinely challenging for him. In hindsight, he suggested he might have avoided some frustration had he not actively participated in every cultural debate, implying that occasionally political silence might have been preferable.
Finally, when asked if he would pursue a political career again, he said he would vote for it again-but only if he successfully achieves the fight against the AfD. He emphasized that he does not want the country to slide further to the right. The interview was recorded in Berlin on September 10.
