German Centre-Right Leader Considers Collaboration with Far-Right AfD at Local Level

The leader of Germany's centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Friedrich Merz, has stated that his party is open to cooperating with the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) at a local political level, sparking backlash from within the CDU and raising concerns about the firewall between conservatives and the far right. While Merz ruled out a national coalition with the AfD, he argued that democratic votes should be respected at the local level. The AfD has recently gained ground, winning district council and mayoral posts, and polls show them at 20-22% of the vote. Merz's comments have been criticized by CDU members, with the mayor of Berlin stating that the CDU cannot work with a party based on hatred and division.