The Werteunion announced after a general assembly that it was separating from the CDU of ex-Chancellor Angela Merkel and the CSU, its regional ally in Bavaria.
“
By a large majority, the members of the Werteunion voted for the creation of a party of the same name
,” declared its leader Hans-Georg Maassen.
“
The party could already compete in regional elections in eastern Germany and work with all parties (...) who are ready for political change in Germany
,” he added, not excluding in particular cooperation with the nationalist right-wing AfD party.
This anti-immigration party is leading opinion polls in three regional elections in the east of the country, where it has the most supporters.
The main parties such as the CDU or the Social Democratic Party (SPD) of Chancellor Olaf Scholz have ruled out any coalition with the AfD.
The Werteunion was created in 2017 by a group of members of the CDU and CSU who opposed Angela Merkel's policies, in particular on the reception in Germany of hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants.
Hans-Georg Maassen is a former head of German domestic intelligence, forced to resign in 2018 after comments unfavorable to immigration.
The new party said it had around 4,000 members, mostly from the CDU and CSU.
The announcement comes as the AfD has been at the center of attention following revelations that some of its members attended a meeting in November over plans for a mass expulsion of immigrants and German citizens of foreign origin.
not assimilated
.”
Read alsoChemnitz: the head of German intelligence to the aid of the AfD
Two members of the Werteunion were at the meeting in Potsdam, revealed by the German investigative media Correctiv.
The AfD for its part confirmed the presence of its members, but denied supporting the “
remigration
” project defended during this meeting by a figure of the identity movement, the Austrian Martin Sellner, holding the “
great replacement
”.
Revelations about the meeting shook Germany, with the content of the discussions sparking comparisons with Nazi ideology.
Demonstrations against the AfD have multiplied in Germany following this information, and are planned in 100 localities between Friday and Sunday.
More than 100,000 people took part across Germany on Saturday.