Schulze rules out AfD votes Case-by-case stance queried

Oct 4

Hiller reports Sven Schulze saying on Bericht aus Berlin that every CDU parliamentarian has repeatedly confirmed verbally and in writing that the party will not vote for AfD candidate Ulrich Siegmund as Saxony-Anhalt's minister-president. Torben Lehning says Siegmund needs three votes from other groups and plans a December bid. Schulze does not seek parliamentary cooperation with the AfD, but his quoted case-by-case opposition stance does not completely rule it out. Lehning raises the possibility of weakening the firewall. In a separate Kyiv statement within this report, Merz warns that AfD-led government in Saxony-Anhalt or a Left-led Berlin government would not contribute to Germany's stability; his allegations connecting the Left Party to clan crime and antisemitism remain attributed. Lehning notes the Union–SPD coalition agreement's exclusion of AfD cooperation at state and federal level and says the Saxony-Anhalt CDU's approach could burden the federal coalition. No minister-president election result or coalition agreement is reported.

Speaking in Kyiv on October 4, Merz warns that an AfD-led government in Saxony-Anhalt and a Left Party-led government in Berlin would not contribute to Germany's stability. His assertion connecting the Left Party with clan crime and antisemitism remains an attributed accusation. Tagesschau places the warning alongside Schulze's qualified parliamentary-cooperation stance and the Union–SPD agreement excluding AfD cooperation. These are concerns about prospective governments, not findings that either government has formed. The complete original October 4 interview includes the question about Ukrainian concern, Merz's 'yes and no' qualification and his renewed pledge to do everything within his power to keep Germany's government stable. This adds the complete context and qualifications of the same statement without proving the alleged criminal or antisemitic links.