Merz Rules Out AfD Coalition, Warns Party Threatens German Democracy
Speaking at the East German Economic Forum in Brandenburg, Merz confronted the question head-on. "My answer is no. I will not do that," he said, dismissing repeated calls from some quarters for his conservatives to align with the AfD.
The chancellor acknowledged the argument made by some supporters but rejected it outright. "A few people out there tell me, 'Why don't you just do it together with the AfD?'" he said. "After all, they share your views, they tell me. They align with you on so many issues, and together you would hold a majority in parliament."
Merz framed his refusal in the starkest historical terms, warning that the AfD represents a direct threat to the democratic foundations Germany painstakingly built after World War II — and that its rise risks reversing the national course set by Konrad Adenauer, West Germany's first postwar chancellor.
"It was under Adenauer that we in Germany finally left the era of nationalism behind us," Merz declared. "And I will not lead the Federal Republic of Germany — nor my own party — backwards, behind the era of Adenauer."
The remarks drew sustained, appreciative applause from the audience, with many attendees visibly nodding in agreement.
Merz also moved swiftly to shut down swirling speculation that mounting tensions with the Social Democrats over a string of policy disputes could push him to seek an alternative coalition partner. "I am not looking for another partner. And I do not have another partner," he said.
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