Kretschmer rejects coalition with Greens after Bundestag elections

Saxon Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) rejects a coalition between his party and the Greens after next year's federal elections. In an interview with the "Leipziger Volkszeitung" and the "Sächsische Zeitung", Kretschmer agreed with CSU leader Markus Söder, who had ruled out such a coalition after the federal elections.

"The election results in Saxony show that the Greens as a party and their concepts have failed. Many young people actually want climate protection. But these green scaremongers and their overreaching solutions were very damaging," said Kretschmer. That was bitter. "There has been a huge loss of trust across generations."

Kretschmer had forged an alliance with the Greens and the SPD in Saxony during the last legislative period. During the election campaign, he lashed out at the Greens. In the end, they only received 5.1 percent of the vote. When asked whether he was to blame for their performance, Kretschmer said: "The Greens failed because of their federal party. And because of their inability to distance themselves from them and prioritize their own Saxon projects instead."

Kretschmer no longer reliant on the Greens - but on BSW

The CDU was only just ahead of the AfD (30.6 percent) in last Sunday's election with 31.9 percent of the vote. Kretschmer's CDU/CSU is now dependent on the Sahra Wagenknecht alliance (BSW/11.8 percent) for a majority government. He also needs either the SPD (7.3 percent) or the Greens. A continuation of the old coalition is not enough. After Kretschmer's statements during the election campaign, he no longer considers this desirable. He rejects the suggestion of a minority government.

In view of critical voices from the CDU/CSU about the BSW, Kretschmer was also asked whether the federal party was giving the state associations the necessary legroom in negotiations. "The parties in this country are structured from the bottom up. I am the chairman of the Saxon Union and our members in Saxony decide what happens here. Nobody else decides that. The same applies to Thuringia," he said.