Agreed is agreed: Before the elections in East Germany, CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer once again insisted on the taboo of coalitions of their party with the AfD or the left. "We have a decision of the federal party, which is very clear," said Kramp-Karrenbauer after a final exam of the CDU federal executive. "This decision was taken unanimously, even with the delegates from the campaigning associations - and that applies."
In Brandenburg and Saxony, a new Landtag is elected on 1 September, in Thuringia on 27 October. The CDU party congress in Hamburg had decided in December 2018: "The CDU Germany rejects coalitions and similar forms of cooperation with both the Left Party and with the alternative for Germany."
CDU in Brandenburg at 19 percent
The opposition CDU is in the latest survey in Brandenburg with 19 percent just behind the ruling SPD and the opposition also AfD, which come to 20 percent. In Saxony, the AfD reached in the latest survey 25 percent, four points behind the ruling CDU. In Thuringia, the ruling left and the opposition AfD in the recent Sunday issue equaled 22 percent and just behind the opposition CDU with 23 percent. The CDU boss goes to the election year with the aim of making the CDU the strongest party.
Brandenburg's CDU head of state Ingo Senftleben did not rule out cooperation with the left last year. On the other hand, there are no similarities with the AFD under the leadership of country chief Andreas Kalbitz. Possible discussions with the AfD after the election excludes the CDU country chief also with the reference to the respect for the voters.
Last year, Saxony's CDU party leader Christian Hartmann had left open the option of a coalition with the AfD - and harvested a sharp contradiction. Kramp-Karrenbauer gave it already in September a clear rejection.