BERLIN (Reuters) – Germany’s main opposition leader, Friedrich Merz, on Sunday rejected any form of collaboration with the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD).
“We do not cooperate with the AfD,” stated Merz, the leader of the Christian Democrats (CDU), during an interview on German broadcaster ARD Das Erste. “There are alternative majorities without the AfD.”
The risks involved in joining forces with the far-right were brought to light for Merz back in July when he had to backtrack from his comments suggesting he could work with the AfD at a local level, facing strong opposition from within his own party.
Established a decade ago, the nationalist and anti-immigrant AfD has recently gained significant support in national opinion polls. However, cooperating with the party remains a forbidden concept among Germany’s mainstream politicians.
Merz proposed a U-turn in migration policy, advocating for a shift in asylum policies and a temporary end to open borders.
(Reporting by Maria Martinez)
Credit: The Star : News Feed
