Merz sees CDU as a stable force in the East

CDU leader Friedrich Merz sees his party as a decisive force in the state elections in eastern Germany against the rise of the AfD and the Sahra Wagenknecht coalition (BSW). "I would rather compete with the SPD, the FDP and the Greens in the east than with the AfD," said Merz on Sunday in a summer interview on the ZDF program "Berlin direkt". However, the traffic light parties hardly play a role in the east, while the CDU is the second strongest party.

This is why he appealed to those who were considering voting for the SPD, FDP or Greens, "all of which are in single figures and all three of which may remain below five percent, I can only ask them to vote for the CDU in this situation," said Merz. If voters want clear conditions and a stable government, there will only be the CDU in Thuringia and Saxony, "which will prevent such a difficult situation from arising".

The elections in Thuringia and Saxony will be held on September 1, followed by Brandenburg on September 22. According to polls, the AfD is currently in the lead and the BSW could hope for double-digit results. Merz emphasized: "The unresolved problems of everyday life in refugee policy, in schools, in companies and in many areas of life are leading to this voter behaviour." The CDU leader made it clear that the traffic light coalition was responsible for this. He reiterated: "The opposition cannot halve the AfD if government policy doubles the AfD."