A German conservative mayor backed the AfD. Now Merz is on the spot.
Bernd Prange wants his rivals to win outright — and his own party to tear down the country's political firewall.
A German conservative mayor's €10,000 donation to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has put his party's leaders in an awkward position. Bernd Prange, a Christian Democrat serving as mayor of Altmärkische Höhe in Saxony-Anhalt, announced on Wednesday that he will be voting for the AfD in the state's upcoming election on September 6.
Prange stated that he wants the AfD to become so strong in the Saxony-Anhalt election that it can govern alone, with the aim of forcing his own party to "finally wake up," tear down Germany's political firewall, and abandon its shift to the left.
The donation has led to swift criticism from within the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Saxony-Anhalt CDU Premier Sven Schulze told POLITICO's Berlin Playbook Podcast, "I don't like it. I can say that very clearly. I think his approach is wrong. Definitely." Schulze added that he did not share Prange's views in any way. Schulze also hinted at the possibility of dealing with the issue after the election, stating, "We'll deal with the issue after the election. Right now, it's campaign time."
In an earlier interview, Schulze dismissed speculation about possible defections after the election, saying, "No, someone switching from the CDU to the AfD will not happen." While Prange hasn't formally changed political allegiance, he has called for Chancellor Friedrich Merz to be removed as CDU leader, accusing him of running a party that is "giving up the conservative core of the Union" as the AfD's support surges across eastern Germany.
The episode poses a significant challenge for the CDU as Merz works to maintain the country's "firewall" against cooperation with the far right. The AfD is polling between 41 and 43 percent in Saxony-Anhalt, nearly twice the CDU's 22 to 24 percent, putting the far right within striking distance of governing alone. Merz has ruled out cooperation with the AfD, but the September elections will put that under sustained pressure, as Saxony-Anhalt votes on September 6, followed by Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on September 20.
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