Ines Schwerdtner, Co-Chair of Die Linke, said the CDU is not sufficiently distancing itself from right-wing forces in Germany [1, 2].

This warning signals a growing concern among left-wing politicians that the center-right CDU may be shifting its position to accommodate far-right elements. Such a move could fundamentally alter the landscape of German coalition building and the protection of democratic values.

Speaking Friday during the Die Linke federal party congress in Potsdam, Schwerdtner addressed the current political climate [2]. She said that the lack of a clear boundary between the CDU and the far-right creates a dangerous opening for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party [1, 2].

Schwerdtner said that the opposition remains firmly on the right. "Der Gegner steht immer noch rechts," she said [2].

The Co-Chair expressed specific concerns regarding the level of government where these shifts are most visible. She said, "Ich glaube, es gibt sowohl in der Kommunalpolitik als auch auf Länderebene Abgeordnete, die würden eher mit der AfD zusammenarbeiten" [1].

By suggesting that lawmakers at the municipal and state levels might prefer cooperation with the AfD, Schwerdtner highlighted a potential fragmentation of the traditional "firewall" designed to keep the far-right out of power [1, 2]. She urged her party to prepare for this shift, an effort to arm the left against a rightward drift in the legislature [2].

The remarks were part of a broader discussion on the future of the German left and its role in countering the rise of the AfD. Schwerdtner said that the CDU's current strategy may inadvertently enable the very forces it claims to oppose [1, 2].

“"Der Gegner steht immer noch rechts."”

The tension between Die Linke and the CDU reflects a broader struggle over the 'cordon sanitaire' in German politics. If the CDU is perceived as softening its stance toward the AfD to regain voters, it may inadvertently legitimize far-right rhetoric and encourage a shift in the political center, potentially making far-right coalitions more viable at the state and local levels.