Luigi Pantisano, candidate for the leadership of Die Linke, has declared his willingness to cooperate with the CDU after the state election in Saxony-Anhalt if this prevents the AfD from joining a government.
Pantisano told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland that preventing fascists from gaining power was the top priority. He pointed to existing models in Thuringia and Saxony where majorities are formed without Die Linke entering government.
He did not rule out a formal coalition with the CDU but warned of risks. Such alliances could feed the AfD narrative that all other parties are the same.
The AfD leads the CDU in polls ahead of the September 6 election. Minister President Sven Schulze rules out coalitions with both the AfD and Die Linke.