The AfD party leader, Alice Weidel, expressed approval for the request by board members of the Brandenburger CDU-Mittelstandsunion, which called for the removal of the “Brandmauer”-the ideological wall separating parties from the AfD. Weidel told Der Welt that she explicitly welcomes “any sign that sets forth a supra-party dialogue,” adding that the representatives of the people owe this to their voters.
However, Uwe Feiler, Honorary Chairman of the Mittelstands- und Wirtschaftsunion (MIT) Brandenburg and a CDU Bundestag member, rejected the idea of dismantling this separation. He told the newspaper that a resolution of incompatibility exists within the CDU and that this position is unshakeable. Feiler emphasized that “there is practically no overlap with the AfD in political issues: EU, NATO, Russia, we are far apart on crucial themes.”
Feiler also demanded clarification regarding the actual meaning of a cooperation ban. He questioned, “Does it apply even if the AfD agrees to CDU motions? That must be clarified.” He stated that if the AfD were to agree to CDU proposals on local decisions, such as the construction of a sports field, he would not consider that cooperation.
Meanwhile, the MIT in Saxony-Anhalt has no intention of challenging this separation. Harald Kremer, the Chairman of the MIT in Saxony-Anhalt, told Der Welt that “there is no debate about the resolution of incompatibility in our state chapter, nor are there any ambitions for rapprochement with the AfD.” Regarding the AfD’s program for Saxony-Anhalt, Kremer noted that one or two points in the economic area might be acceptable, but the rest was “absolutely hostile to the economy.”
Kremer concluded that economic policies in the interest of businesses and the state cannot be developed with the AfD. “I speak here for the entire board. However, it is also clear: people are dissatisfied with the politics in Berlin, and things simply must get better,” he added.
