Overview
- Angela Merkel denounced the AfD on ZDF as a party that divides citizens and defines who belongs to the ‘people,’ calling that stance incompatible with the constitution.
- Merkel urged tighter regulation of digital platforms to help distinguish facts from emotive claims in political discourse.
- Chancellor and CDU leader Friedrich Merz announced an in‑depth confrontation with the AfD, including rebuilding local CDU offices in eastern districts to eliminate “white spots.”
- Merz said formal cooperation with the AfD in legislatures remains off the table, while allowing that local votes aligning with CDU positions need not imply collaboration.
- Bavarian leader Markus Söder said he would face an AfD representative in a televised debate and labeled the party a threat to democracy, as polls show the AfD leading in Saxony‑Anhalt and ranking strongly nationally and in Bavaria.