After the Thuringia election

“Blackberry coalition” wants to negotiate with each other

CDU leader Friedrich Merz agreed to exploratory talks between his party and the Sahra Wagenknecht alliance and the SPD in Thuringia.(Bild: APA/AFP/Tobias SCHWARZ)

Although CDU federal party leader Friedrich Merz was still reluctant to cooperate with the Sahra Wagenknecht alliance until recently, he is now apparently prepared to hold exploratory talks with the new movement and the SPD in Thuringia. Around three weeks ago, the Alternative for Germany won the state elections, but no other party wants to govern with them.

The CDU state executive gave the green light for exploratory talks at a meeting on Monday, as announced by Thuringian CDU leader Mario Voigt in Oberhof. The plan is to start talks next week. They also want to sound out "what such cooperation could look like", said Voigt.

There is no getting around Sahra Wagenknecht if the firewall against the AfD is to hold.(Bild: EPA/CLEMENS BILAN)

However, the CDU, BSW and SPD together only have 44 of the 88 seats in the state parliament and would have to rely on the Left to pass legislation.

SPD: "We need stability for our country"
The SPD does not want to take as long as in Thuringia in Brandenburg, where elections were held on Sunday. The re-elected Minister President Dietmar Woidke (SPD) wants to quickly start exploratory talks with the BSW and CDU. "We still need political stability for our country," said Woidke in Berlin on Monday. However, the CDU hinted at a rejection. It also accused the SPD politician of having strengthened the AfD with his strategy. 

CDU prepares "for all scenarios"
The second-placed AfD also laid claim to government, but no one wants to form a coalition with them. Otherwise, only a coalition of SPD and BSW would have its own majority in the future four-party parliament. "A majority government is only possible between the SPD and BSW. In this respect, we are preparing for all scenarios, including an opposition role," said CDU state leader Jan Redmann, who wants to remain in office despite a historically poor election result.