German chancellor vows ‘no cooperation’ with far-right AfD party

By Oliver Towfigh Nia

BERLIN (AA) - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Saturday ruled out working with the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party amid an ongoing debate within his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) about possible future cooperation with the far-right party.

"There will be no cooperation with the AfD from the Union (Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union). We are worlds apart from that party. We have nothing in common with them. Absolutely nothing!" Merz said at the youth party congress of his Christian Democratic Union in the southwestern city of Rust.

He also urged his junior coalition partner, the Social Democratic Party (SPD), to step up efforts to halt the political rise of the AfD.

"The mandate to push back this party is not a mandate directed solely at us. It is also a mandate directed, perhaps more than ever, at the Social Democratic Party of Germany," Merz said.

Referring to past elections, the chancellor added: "The SPD is currently in the process of losing a significant portion of its voters to this party."

Merz’s remarks came in the wake of a continued discussion within his center-right party about its handling of the AfD ahead of a number of state elections next year, among them two in eastern German states, where the AfD is hovering around 40% in the polls, far ahead of all other parties.

The AfD is currently the largest opposition party in the parliament (Bundestag).