Markus Söder, the chairman of the CSU and Minister-President of Bavaria, has demanded an “extremist clause” within the federal financial equalization scheme (Länderfinanzausgleich) in response to the coalition negotiations between the Berlin Left, SPD, and Greens. He stated on Friday at the CSU party congress in Munich that anyone who does not stop the Berlin coalition lacks credibility in the fight against extremism. He added that public money should not be used to fund extremists, declaring clearly that the CSU will explore finding an extremist clause to be incorporated into the financial equalization system in cooperation with Baden-Württemberg and Hessen.
Söder further argued that other recipient states should not be concerned, stating that the central question is how to combat extremism, and therefore, “the purse strings must be tightened.” He insisted that where constitutional enemies and extremist groups exist, there should be no regional financial equalization.
However, he also directed a message to the Union party, urging members to be realistic. He described the most recent state election results as a “brutal wake-up call,” noting that a substantial majority is dissatisfied with the work of the Federal Government. Citing national polls, Söder said they are not in a good place and have dropped “dramatically” in some areas.
Despite this trend, he expressed confidence that the CSU can defy this development. According to his polling data, the CSU shows a high degree of stability, suggesting they might actually be the strongest component of the Union. He made it clear that the hopes held by the AfD and other parties have not materialized so far. Söder vowed to continue working hard to prevent the AfD from gaining a strong foothold in Bavaria, promising: “We will hold the Bavarian fortress.”
