CSU leader Markus Söder has ruled out formal cooperation with the AfD. In a TV interview, he stressed that the Union would not tolerate dependence on AfD votes in the Bundestag. He viewed an earlier migration decision supported by the AfD in hindsight as a possible mistake.
In the ARD program 'Caren Miosga,' Markus Söder, the Bavarian Minister President and CSU leader, stated that formal cooperation with the AfD is impossible. 'A formal cooperation is not possible and we will of course not support any AfD motion,' he said. The Union must not depend on AfD votes in Bundestag votes, though it is possible for the AfD to support Union proposals. However, the Union must always secure its own majority.
Söder called the AfD the 'dirty kids' and rejected the notion that they could secretly provide majorities. This would not work. In the context of the Brandmauer debate, he reflected on a migration resolution from the early 2025 Bundestag election campaign. At that time, the Union had passed a motion with AfD votes. In hindsight, Söder considered this a possible mistake. 'That decision was the decision of the chancellor candidate, which we all then supported,' he explained, referring to Friedrich Merz. 'It was a lead decision - a candidate is always right in the campaign.'
The decision mobilized the left side and deeply split the Union, according to Söder. He recalled the AfD executive director's reaction after the vote: 'I remember, after the first vote, when the AfD executive director really went back to the Bundestag, snarling and foaming, and spoke of a new era, by then it was clear to everyone that we might have given the AfD a chance that we did not want to give.' This debate highlights the ongoing tensions within the Union regarding its stance toward the AfD.