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CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer during a press conference
Photo:
Adam Berry / AFP
CDU boss Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has denied that an AfD politician was elected chairman of the city council in Gera with the help of the CDU.
"Those responsible for the CDU in Thuringia have confirmed that the AfD candidate was not supported," said Kramp-Karrenbauer to the "Tagesspiegel am Sonntag".
The AfD politician Reinhard Etzrodt was elected on September 24th with 23 of 40 votes, although the AfD itself only has twelve votes.
Even if one assumed that all representatives of the smaller, local groups voted for Etzrodt, that would mean: at least two representatives from the CDU, SPD, Left, Greens or FDP must have put the AfD man in office.
The outrage over the secret vote spread far beyond Thuringia.
In particular, from the ranks of Red-Red-Green, the CDU was accused of cooperating with the AfD.
Kramp-Karrenbauer admitted that there are uncertainties in dealing with the AfD, especially in everyday communal life.
"For example, the question is: If we have an application in the city council and the AfD votes, without our intervention - do I have to withdraw it?"
This would, however, give the AfD an instrument to constantly demonstrate the other parties.
"We are not looking for and do not support any cooperation with the AfD. But we do not allow our applications to be ruined by such behavior by the AfD," emphasized the party leader.
"The firewall against the AfD is extremely important."
Because despite the allegedly bourgeois facade, the AfD is radical - "and is becoming more and more radical".
Kramp-Karrenbauer is hoping for a quick clarification of the chancellor candidate question
In addition, the CDU chairman spoke out in the interview for a quick clarification of the chancellor candidate question in the Union - possibly later this year.
"Many in the Union want that," said Kramp-Karrenbauer also the "Tagesspiegel am Sonntag".
They assume that the new CDU chairman will "quickly" talk to CSU boss Markus Söder about the timetable after his election.
Söder had only brought a decision on the candidate in March 2021.
For the desire of the CSU not to name a candidate for chancellor too early and to involve him in the election campaign, there are "also" reasons, said Kramp-Karrenbauer.
On the other hand, the view of the Hessian Prime Minister Volker Bouffier is just as legitimate, who had demanded that all conceivable candidates should reveal their ambitions before the CDU party congress on December 4th: "Behind this is the wish that this question be clarified quickly and debates are ended, "said the outgoing CDU leader.
So far, only the North Rhine-Westphalian Prime Minister Armin Laschet and the former Union parliamentary group leader Friedrich Merz have made it clear that they are also aiming for the Chancellery if they are elected CDU chairman.
Söder avoided making a clear statement, but kept emphasizing that his place was in Bavaria.
The new CDU chairman is to be elected at the federal party conference on December 4th in Stuttgart.
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irb / dpa
