A prominent Social Democratic Party (SPD) parliamentarian has issued a stark warning to the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) regarding burgeoning calls within the conservative ranks to forge alliances with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). Ralf Stegner, a seasoned SPD figure, criticized the contemplated shift in strategy as “adventurous” arguing that pursuing collaboration with the AfD after years of attempting to isolate the party constitutes a reckless gamble with potentially devastating consequences.
Stegner’s remarks, published in the Handelsblatt newspaper, explicitly cautioned that any move toward coalition-building or even tactical cooperation with the AfD would ultimately prove fatal to the CDU’s long-term viability. He emphasized the absolute necessity of maintaining a clear demarcation line, asserting that consensus with “right-wing extremist enemies of democracy” is simply unacceptable. Instead, he advocates for direct engagement with the AfD’s ideology, exposing its flaws and confronting its core tenets.
Echoing this sentiment, Dennis Radtke, head of the CDU’s labor wing, also vehemently opposed the proposals for a softening of the “firewall” against the AfD. Radtke warned that the envisioned approach of managing minority governments or pursuing limited collaborative efforts will not diminish the AfD’s influence and, crucially, imperils the CDU’s standing as a broad-based people’s party. He underscored the significance of CDU unity and stability as vital pillars of German democracy, a reality the AfD apparently recognizes and exploits.
Radtke dismissed the notion that the AfD could moderate its extremist positions should it be granted a platform through collaboration. He argued, with considerable force, that the party’s core ideology is inherently right-wing extremist, making any substantial shift virtually impossible. He further challenged the premise that the current strategy of maintaining a strict distance from the AfD is responsible for the party’s electoral gains, attributing the AfD’s rise instead to a confluence of strategic errors, communication failures and broader political shortcomings within the established parties. This critique suggests a need for introspection within the CDU, questioning whether an attempt to appease the AfD might ultimately prove to be a self-defeating strategy that undermines the foundations of German democratic values.
