Overview

• CDU leader Friedrich Merz reaffirmed his party's stance against any collaboration with the AfD, emphasizing the party's commitment to migration restrictions and economic reforms.
• The CDU's controversial migration policies have drawn widespread protests, with hundreds of thousands demonstrating against the party's recent legislative alignment with the AfD in the Bundestag.
• Sahra Wagenknecht's new party, Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW), struggles to maintain momentum as it launches its campaign, facing low polling numbers and accusations of lacking a distinct platform.
• Wagenknecht criticized Germany's economic policies and military support for Ukraine, while advocating for reduced migration and opposing sanctions on Russia, drawing both support and sharp criticism.
• Internal divisions within the CDU over strategy and messaging persist, with some members expressing concerns about the long-term risks of the party's current approach to migration and its association with right-wing rhetoric.