Frankfurt (Germany), 8 Sept. (LaPresse) – “As a member of the CDU, my heart is breaking.” This was stated by former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, as reported by Handelsblatt, whilst commenting on the result of the regional elections in Saxony-Anhalt, where the AfD secured 43.8 per cent of the vote, whilst Minister-President Sven Schulze’s CDU managed only 17.2 per cent. According to Merkel, the AfD’s result represents “a turning point in the history of the Federal Republic”. The former chancellor said she was “shocked” when, on Sunday evening, the results confirmed the polls from the previous weeks. Merkel then criticised the ‘Brandmauer’, the cordon sanitaire against the AfD. “ “I didn’t invent it, and I don’t particularly like it either,” she said, arguing that “that’s not what convinces people”, Merkel added, maintaining that parties must set out concrete objectives – for example, on pensions – to demonstrate that cooperation with the AfD is not possible. The other parties, the former Chancellor concluded, must also overcome their “obsession” with right-wing populists.
Germany, Merkel: ‘My heart bleeds at the AfD’s victory’
Frankfurt (Germany), 8 Sept. (LaPresse) – “As a member of the CDU, my heart is breaking.” This was stated by former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, as reported by Handelsblatt, whilst commenting on the result of the regional elections in Saxony-Anhalt, where the AfD secured 43.8 per cent of the vote, whilst Minister-President Sven Schulze’s CDU managed only 17.2 per cent. According to Merkel, the AfD’s result represents “a turning point in the history of the Federal Republic”. The former chancellor said she was “shocked” when, on Sunday evening, the results confirmed the polls from the previous weeks. Merkel then criticised the ‘Brandmauer’, the cordon sanitaire against the AfD. “ “I didn’t invent it, and I don’t particularly like it either,” she said, arguing that “that’s not what convinces people”, Merkel added, maintaining that parties must set out concrete objectives – for example, on pensions – to demonstrate that cooperation with the AfD is not possible. The other parties, the former Chancellor concluded, must also overcome their “obsession” with right-wing populists.