Bernd Baumann, the parliamentary director for the AfD faction in the Bundestag, has strongly criticized the individuals currently being considered as potential successors to Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Speaking to the news channel “Welt,” Baumann asserted that Steinmeier himself has “failed” in his role.
Baumann expressed deep skepticism about the candidates under consideration, stating that they are all individuals affiliated with the “mainstream.” He argued that, just like Steinmeier, they are “pseudo-reconciling,” though fundamentally, they have always only advocated for the AfD and the voters in the eastern states unilaterally.
“President Steinmeier has completely failed to fill the divides and ensure that the statistically largest party is involved in discussions,” Baumann commented. Regarding the current pool of candidates, he remains uncertain about who, if anyone, would be able to genuinely change the course or direction of the office.
According to Baumann, Germany is experiencing a level of polarization that is detrimental to a bourgeois, democratic republic. He highlighted the worrying trend of political blocs forming, noting the confluence of the SPD with the Left and Green parties, leading to what he described as a “hard-hitting electoral campaign.” In this scenario, pitting the left-wing block against the AfD, he questioned the relevance of the CDU. He argued that the Federal President should step in to mediate and urge the different groups to come to the table.
While Baumann did not specify a name for his preferred successor, he stipulated that the individual must not come from the existing political parties that continue the policy of maintaining a rigid division.
