“Historic failure”, “breaking of taboo”, “fatal decision”: After implementing a tax cut with votes from the AfD, the CDU in Thuringia is massively criticized nationwide. Many see the “fire wall to the right” torn down.
The joint adoption of a law in the Thuringian state parliament by the CDU, AfD and FDP has met with sharp criticism nationwide. “The CDU in Thuringia joined forces with the Höcke-AfD yesterday,” said a statement from the SPD party executive in Berlin. “There must be no cooperation with these enemies of democracy,” the SPD leadership further emphasized on the platform X (formerly Twitter).
“This vote was a very special breach of political taboo,” said SPD parliamentary secretary Katja Mast to “Spiegel”. She accused the CDU of having “planned with the votes of the AfD from the start.” This is “a historic failure of the CDU,” she continued. “Anyone who now talks about a firewall in the CDU is lying to themselves,” added the SPD politician.
Göring-Eckardt: Open collaboration
Bundestag Vice President Katrin Göring-Eckardt (Greens) accused the CDU in Thuringia of having openly collaborated with the AfD. “For me it’s breaking a taboo,” she said rbb. The decision was foreseeable. “This shows me that not only is the firewall no longer there, but that there is open cooperation.” Göring-Eckardt called on the CDU to now think about which party it wanted to be in the future. She also criticized the behavior of the FDP in Thuringia.
“The CDU’s decision in Thuringia is fatal,” wrote Green party leader Britta Haßelmann on Haßelmann made CDU leader Friedrich Merz personally responsible for this development.
“The CDU continues to tear down the firewall”
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) accused the CDU of “misguided dealings with the AfD”. “The CDU is increasingly tearing down the firewall to the far right,” said the SPD politician to the dpa news agency. The joint resolution with the Thuringian AfD under Björn Höcke in the state parliament is “a dangerous contribution to the normalization of right-wing extremists.” Faeser raised the question of whether one could still rely on the CDU and its chairman Merz on this point, which is so important for democracy.
“Friedrich Merz has repeatedly said that there is no cooperation with the AfD. Today we set off together,” criticized SPD chairman Lars Klingbeil in the ARD.
Ramelow: Blackest day of his parliamentary life
Thuringia’s Prime Minister Ramelow (Left) said Deutschlandfunk, that was the blackest day in his long parliamentary life. The goal of strengthening families could also have been achieved together with the governing parties. The CDU must ask itself whether it cares about content or whether it is ultimately opening the door so that the AfD can speak of a middle-class majority, said the left-wing politician.
Federal FDP distances itself
There is also criticism of the party’s actions in Thuringia from the FDP in the federal government. There is “no support from the federal party” for this, said defense politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann to “Spiegel”. Strack-Zimmermann recalled the controversial election of FDP politician Thomas Kemmerich, who was elected Prime Minister in Thuringia in 2020 with the support of the CDU and AfD. He resigned shortly afterwards under pressure from the federal FDP. Since then, the relationship between the FDP in the federal government and in Thuringia has been considered difficult.
With the votes of the CDU, AfD and FDP, the Thuringian state parliament decided to reduce the property transfer tax in the Free State. In parliament on Thursday evening, the members of the CDU and AfD factions as well as the FDP voted for the CDU motion. The government factions of the Left, the Greens and the SPD voted against it.