Overview
- Saxony’s minister-president told the RND it is pointless to keep discussing how to handle the AfD and more important to understand why it has grown.
- He declined a blanket yes-or-no on excluding any cooperation, saying his record in office already demonstrates his position.
- He said moral barricades are insufficient and argued that solving concrete problems is necessary to restore trust in the rule of law and democracy.
- CDU rules adopted in 2018 and reaffirmed in 2020 prohibit coalitions or similar cooperation with the AfD, while an explanatory paper notes some parliamentary contacts can be unavoidable, such as conscience votes.
- He described the AfD as in parts right-wing extremist and noted its classification in Saxony as firmly extremist, as his CDU-SPD minority government relies on other parties via a consultation mechanism and excludes working with the AfD.