The AfD is in Eastern Germany, now so strong, that coalitions will be without the right-wing populists difficult. Yet this is true in Berlin as an absolute taboo. But for how long?
The political situation in East Germany is sensitive, not only because of the riots in Chemnitz. The right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) has risen in the polls in Saxony, and the surrounding provinces re-allocated and is now in second place. In a year in Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg state elections. The situation remains so, the previous government coalitions – not just be possible to see the graphics.
As a coalition partner of the Christian Democrats of the CDU with a calculator would come in front of all, two parties in question: the Left or the AfD. Both of which would be taboo-breaks; from the point of view of the CDU it would be a decision between plague and Cholera. Because the Left are the successor party to the GDR ruling party SED, and the AfD is considered to be in part a right-wing extremist.
Cautious Debates
The public debate has nevertheless begun. Politicians at the Federal level want to wegdrängen the theme of the loved one and uncomfortable coalitions exclude the country, politicians are more open.
Ingo Senftleben, CDU-Chef in the state of Brandenburg, in the autumn of 2019, the Prime Minister. There, the social Democrats and the Left-hand rule-of-date. The Christian Democrats should be the strongest party, wants to Senftleben talk “with all parties over a coalition.”
Daniel Günther – Prime Minister in the Northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein and Merkel-ally – made recently for excitement. The CDU in the East should, where appropriate, to form a coalition with the left party, said Günther. In terms of the AfD, he said, one should not paint the party “as a spectre”, but must find a clear and substantive distinction.
Taboo-breaking Viennese-style
What applies at the country level, apparently, is the Realpolitik, is among experts controversial. In a coalition with the AfD, the CDU could be crushed, warns the political scientist, Werner Patzelt in the DW-Interview. Namely, if the AfD is implementing a clear rights program, and the CDU is torn between the “Merkel-people and half-Right”.
The danger there is in a neighbouring country, Austria. There the end of 2017, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, from the same party family as Angela Merkel’s CDU to arise, a coalition with the Freedom party of Austria (FPÖ), the right-wing populists, forged. He does not think it to be self-evident, “that the Austrian model out in favour of the senior partner,” so in Short’ party ÖVP, Patzelt.
His model would be the East German länder transferable, was asked recently by a German journalist? He would not advise to do this, says the Chancellor. The political systems of both countries are not comparable, as well as both parties – the AfD and the FPÖ is so Short.
In fact, the AfD is only five years old. The FPÖ has been around since 1955, and at the turn of the Millennium, she was already in government with the Conservatives.
Political support from Vienna? Austria’s head of government, Sebastian Kurz guest of the CDU-in-chief of the Federal state of Thuringia, Mike Mohring (23.08.2018)
It was interesting, said what the occasion is Short, namely, at a Meeting with Mike Mohring. The CDU chief in Thuringia, Eastern Germany is said to have, he would flirt with a CDU-AfD coalition. Although the politicians themselves, preclude the Option so far, but he belongs to a group of Newly Conservative in the CDU. The group, which wants to position itself for the Era after Merkel and to the right of the middle.
Not only a matter of
“A coalition with the AfD will not work, as long as Merkel is in Power,” says political scientist Patzelt. Because that would re-ignite the principle of dispute, the CDU Wants to remain with the CDU, a party of the center, or more conservative? Merkel, the party moved to the center and avoid consistently to the debate on the future orientation.
German Chancellor and CDU Chairwoman Angela Merkel stands for a liberal and modern conservatism in Germany
Also other political scientists warn of the dangers of a coalition with the AfD at the country level. “Such a merger can cost the CDU at the Federal level, clear support for its voters ‘potential”, says the sociologist and political scientist Holger Lengfeld in the DW-Interview. That would scare the liberal voters, and Merkel especially responsive.
In view of the consequences that could have a CDU-AfD coalition in a Federal state policy in Berlin, it is little wonder that the public Talk is taboo in more than a coalition with the Left. To not want to a DW request for the “model Austria” comment, Prime Minister Günther in any case, “currently”, writes his press Secretary.
“The extreme right in Power”
The stigma, the calls by the AfD in the German policy, together with your current Encounter. “The AfD is – especially, but not only – in Eastern Germany as in large Parts of a party, the elemental principles of our liberal democracy rejects,” said the political scientist and right-wing extremism expert Carsten Koschmieder in the DW-Interview.
It is not about individual cases, but to the entire leadership of the party programme, the choice programs, says Koschmieder. He warns, would form a coalition with the CDU, the AfD, “we’d have extreme Right-wing in Power.”
The AfD can be tame?
The younger German political parties-history also shows that even the most difficult new parties are “tame”. So it happened with the Post-Communists from the GDR, now the left party. In the medium term, it wouldn’t surprise him”,” says Patzelt, “the AfD is made up of employees capable of”. Of the Ball but especially in the game field of the AfD. The party must leave their “legal demagogic speaker,” and, obviously, on the ground of the Constitution. You would also have to leave their rhetoric, “according to which the System is the Problem.” The AfD would have to give up “the game with the close to right-wing radicalism”, writes the sociologist Lengfeld.
In Austria, only to be, once that was managed, alliances with the FPÖ emerged. Longitudinal field currently sees no signs that the AfD would be willing to look at the potential partners move toward. The party and its voters shown by analysis, would be as a protest party, Holger Lengfeld. He suspect that this “Protest role,” hold still for a few years.