The Democristian Union (CDU) has closed ranks around its leader, Friedrich Merz, a favorite to win the February 23 elections, after it opened up to receiving support from the extreme right in Parliament to implement its new hard line on migration. This is an unprecedented situation in Germany, where the concept of a “Sanitary Cord” has been mentioned. Merz’s statements, which proclaimed that there will be no cooperation with the ultra-rightist Alternative for Germany (AFD) party, were met with applause from the thousand delegates who attended a congress in Berlin.
A few hundred people protested outside the congress with posters that read “CDU, Shame on You,” while some Greenpeace activists who sneaked into the delegates’ area stood up during Merz’s speech with posters that formed the word “sanitary cord.” This protest occurred just days after up to 160,000 citizens demonstrated in Berlin, according to police estimates, to demand that all parties clearly distance themselves from the AFD, which is currently second in the polls just three weeks before the elections.
Merz stated that the AFD is the “main rival” of his party in this campaign and that he opposes everything the conservatives have fought for, such as the transatlantic relationship, the euro, and NATO. He also rejected any kind of agreement with the AFD after the elections. However, he defended his decision to tolerate the parliamentary support of the ultra-right party last week, citing that the majority of the population shares the opinion that the current immigration policies cannot continue.
Merz urged his party to “maintain the course” and continue fighting for the possibility of creating “new majorities” in Germany with other democratic parties. He warned that if it is not possible to find these majorities after the elections and the democratic order is not able to overcome the challenges it faces, there is a risk that Germany will end up “in left or right populism.” He called on voters to provide his party with the greatest possible “distance” against the extreme right.
Border closure
The CDU delegates unanimously approved an “immediate action plan” for a future government headed by the CDU, which includes economic policy measures and a new line proposed by Merz to restrict migration. These plans include border closure to asylum applicants, permanent border controls, indefinite detention of people pending expulsion considered dangerous, and suspension of family reunification for certain types of refugees, as well as more competencies for the police.
Part of these plans received approval from the lower house or Bundestag last week in the form of a non-binding motion that was approved with the votes of the conservative block, the ultra-right, and the liberals. However, a bill that included other migratory measures failed to pass on Friday by a narrow margin, with 338 votes in favor and 350 against. The reception of support from the ultra-right may harm the CDU, but according to an INSA survey, the Merz block would still win the elections with 30% of the votes, followed by the AFD with 22%, and the social democrats with 16%. The controversial parliamentary votes of last week do not seem to have had an immediate effect on the polls.