"Would betray the country"

Merz distances himself from the AfD again after turmoil

Friedrich Merz (CDU) and Markus Söder (CSU) are swearing in their supporters for the hot phase of the election campaign and want to continue to be part of the "firewall" against the AfD.(Bild: APA/AFP/ARMIN WEIGEL)

Following the controversial Bundestag votes on migration policy, the CSU and CDU Union parties are trying to distance themselves from the right-wing AfD. At a joint appearance at the CSU's small party conference on Saturday, both CDU leader Friedrich Merz and CSU chairman Markus Söder emphasized that they would remain part of the "firewall" against the AfD.

"No, no and no: there is no cooperation," said Söder. Two weeks before the Bundestag elections, however, he shouted to the CSU delegates: "Yes, yes, yes, we are the protective wall, we are the firewall." Merz even went one step further: "We would be betraying our country. I would be betraying the soul of the CDU if I were to reach out even my little finger to pursue such a policy in Germany."

Merz: "AfD seeks its salvation on Putin's lap"
The CDU stands in the tradition of major political decisions for the West, for the European Union, for the euro, for NATO. "The AfD questions all of this in principle, and they want to find their salvation and peace on Putin's lap," said Merz, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

The CDU and CSU in the Bundestag had recently accepted a possible majority of votes with the help of the AfD (and the FDP) in order to push through their proposals on migration policy. Just a few weeks before the election, the CDU/CSU had triggered fierce protest from the SPD, the Greens and the Left - the churches in Germany also spoke out critically about the CDU/CSU's approach. 

Protests against the right and Friedrich Merz took place on the fringes of the CSU party conference.(Bild: APA/AFP/ARMIN WEIGEL)

On the fringes of the party conference, however, Merz was also conciliatory with regard to the SPD and the Greens: both parties were "quite reasonable" when it came to making sensible and correct decisions. He said in an interview with Bayerischer Rundfunk that he wanted to "hold sensible talks with the SPD and others again" after the election. With regard to asylum policy, Söder was more skeptical: "I don't know whether the SPD will be able to achieve much, but I do know one thing: the Greens will not be a partner when it comes to effectively and sustainably limiting migration."

Söder urges churches to exercise political restraint
In his speech, Söder replied by urging both churches to show more restraint on political issues. The Bavarian Minister President also blatantly pointed out that the Free State of Bavaria pays the salaries of the churches - and that the CDU/CSU is the only party that still stands by the churches. "I know how plural churches are organized. So no criticism, but perhaps as a small reminder: don't forget who ultimately still stands by the institution of the church. That is us," Söder emphasized. 

CDU/CSU, AfD and SPD lose ground slightly
In a recent Insa survey, the three strongest political forces lost ground slightly (see chart above). The CDU/CSU, AfD and SPD each lost one percentage point in the survey for "Bild am Sonntag" compared to the previous week. The CDU and CSU are still clearly in the lead with 29%, followed by the AfD with 21% and the SPD with 16%.