Thuringian debate about wind power: Announced AfD approval of the CDU

The announced approval of the AfD to a CDU application for wind turbines in the Thuringian state parliament is now also heating up tempers at the federal level.

SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert warned the Thuringian Union against working with the AfD and also appealed to CDU leader Friedrich Merz.

“Leadership is now required in the CDU, because the authority of party leader Friedrich Merz is also being challenged in the state parliament in Erfurt,” said Kühnert to the “Spiegel”.

FDP General Secretary Bijan Djir-Sarai also called on the Christian Democrats to resolve the situation.

"The CDU is responsible for preventing the situation created by its application," said the FDP politician to the editorial network Germany (RND).

"It is not clear why she is now provoking this state political situation." The state parliamentary group of the FDP has also signaled approval of the Union's application.

In terms of content, it is about a minimum distance of 1000 meters between new wind turbines and residential buildings.

Meanwhile, Thuringia's Environment Minister Anja Siegesmund (Greens) offered the CDU parliamentary group a "wind peace" for the state on Saturday.

If the Union puts its controversial draft law on hold, it can be discussed, she told broadcaster MDR Thüringen.

The energy paper of the current exploratory talks between the CDU and the Greens in North Rhine-Westphalia could serve as a basis.

CDU faction leader Mario Voigt also told the broadcaster MDR Thuringia that the Thuringian CDU had been ready to talk for months.

He would like a citizen-friendly solution for the expansion of wind power with clear intervals.

He will speak to Minister Siegesmund on Tuesday - but expect that red-red-green will show the same willingness to compromise as the CDU.

Is the “fire wall to the AfD” now showing up?

SPD general secretary Kühnert declared that a law against the votes of the red-red-green minority government was "a law majority by Höcke's grace".

He alluded to the AfD state and parliamentary group leader Björn Höcke.

"Something like this has never existed and must never exist." Apparently, the CDU is of the opinion that in cooperation with the AfD, the exclusion zone only begins with joint coalitions.

"Anyone who argues like that hasn't learned anything." The CDU had just a few days left to "save the Free State of Thuringia a disservice".

Sharp criticism of the CDU also came from the Greens.

CDU party leader Merz said in December last year "With me there will be a firewall to the AfD" and even threatened party exclusion proceedings in the event of infringement, the political director of the Federal Greens, Emily Büning, recalled in the "Spiegel" of relevant statements by Merz .

"Now he is silent while the Thuringian CDU is planning to push through two draft laws with the votes of the AfD against the state government for the first time."

Thuringia's CDU parliamentary group leader rejected the criticism.

"This is about Thuringian issues, and I expect that solutions will also be found here in Thuringia," he said.

The reactions from the federal government showed how far "the Berlin bubble has moved away from the reality of life of people in rural areas." Kühnert doesn't care about the people in Thuringia at all.

"The criticism has only one goal: to torpedo the successful course of Friedrich Merz."

It is not important to the SPD general secretary whether the beginner in the health professions has to pay school fees or not or who has a 240-meter wind turbine in sight.

In the Erfurt state parliament, the opposition from the CDU, AfD and FDP has great influence because the red-red-green coalition government of Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (left) does not have its own majority - it is missing four votes.

The CDU and the FDP have already had negative experiences in dealing with the AfD in Thuringia.

On February 5, 2020, the FDP politician Thomas Kemmerich was elected Prime Minister of the Free State with votes from the AfD, CDU and FDP.

The AfD had dropped its own candidate without votes and voted for Kemmerich.

The Liberal accepted the election.

The event triggered a nationwide storm of indignation.

The election was often perceived as breaking a political taboo.

After public pressure, Kemmerich announced his resignation one day after the vote, which he completed three days after the election.