Merz: Eastern CDU does not need advice from the West

In the view of party leader Friedrich Merz, the CDU state associations in several eastern German states do not need any advice from the West when it comes to forming a government. "In Saxony and Thuringia, and possibly in Brandenburg in two weeks' time, the CDU is the last remaining bulwark against populism from the far left and the far right," he said at the annual conference of the Christian Democratic Workers' Union in Weimar. They did not need "any clever advice from the comfort zone of the West about what needs to happen in the East now".

Merz once again made it clear that cooperation with the AfD was out of the question - even if there were individual voices in the CDU who were at least calling for talks. "I have no intention of selling our soul," he said. Talks would also be held with the Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) alliance. However, there are limits and if these are reached or exceeded, "then we will jointly send a stop signal".

Designated CDA leader warns against BSW

Social politician Dennis Radtke, who is also to be elected as the successor to CDA leader Karl-Josef Laumann at the annual conference, was among those who recently warned of a possible alliance with BSW. "The CDU is heading for an abyss if we allow ourselves to be harnessed to Sahra Wagenknecht's cart," he said.

In Saxony and Thuringia, the CDU state associations are currently trying to forge a government. In Saxony, the CDU, BSW and SPD would have a majority. In Thuringia, this alliance would have 44 of the 88 seats in the state parliament and would be reliant on the Left Party to provide a majority. Brandenburg goes to the polls on September 22. In polls, the CDU ranks third there behind the AfD and SPD.