Chilling Thoughts: Guttenberg Wonders if Union Might Become AfD's Handmaidens
Guttenberg: Union could potentially rule as a minority partner with the Alternative for Germany (AfD) gaining 35% of the vote
In a bold move, former Minister Guttenberg hints at concocting a potentially controversial alliance between the Union parties and the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the 2029 federal election. "It's a possibility I don't rule out," Guttenberg told Spiegel, although he wishes it wouldn't come to that.
According to Guttenberg's estimations, the AfD could rake in an astounding 35% in the upcoming election, if current government couldn't restore the public's trust within two years. In the interim, a snub of the AfD as coalition partners would be hard to fathom, he warned. "I hope that's not the case," Guttenberg added.
The AfD's polling numbers are climbing steeply, having surpassed the Union's, with 25% support. The Social Democrats (SPD) trail behind at 15%, followed by the Greens at 12% and the Left at 10%. The BSW and FDP are holding steady at 3% each, survey results show.
Guttenberg Calls for "Honest Talk" on Conscription
When quizzed about reinstatement of conscription, Guttenberg responded emphatically, "Yes, if we're willing to be honest with the people." With Ukraine's invasion in focus, the rethinking of conscription should have took place in 2022, according to him. "I believe the decision to do away with conscription should have been reconsidered at least as early as 2014," Guttenberg said, defending his previous decision to scrap the draft.
Looking back, Guttenberg ruefully admitted, "I would have been overjoyed to keep conscription. I would have done a backflip for a 100-billion special fund."
Source: ntv.de, mpa
Since Guttenberg's statements, media coverage and political commentary on the possibility of a Union-AfD alliance remains scarce. While Friedrich Merz, the current CDU leader and chancellor, has demonstrated a readiness to collaborate with the AfD on select votes, such as a motion against illegal immigration, a formal coalition is generally considered implausible within contemporary German political norms.
- Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg
- CDU
- CSU
- AfD
- German Bundestag
- Federal Government
[1] Friedrich Merz supports AfD motion against illegal immigration, but no formal partnership forthcoming. (Süddeutsche Zeitung, 24 March 2023)[2] Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg's long-term political aspirations remain unclear following his departure from defense and economics ministries. (Die Welt, 4 April 2022)[3] Guttenberg's reforms of the Bundeswehr sparked controversy and opposition within military circles. (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 12 August 2013)[4] Guttenberg's future political plans remain uncertain as he distanced himself from party politics following a plagiarism scandal in 2011. (FAZ, 26 February 2014)
- Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, the former minister, raised eyebrows when he suggested a potential alliance between the Union parties and the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the 2029 federal election, a move that would significantly reshape the common foreign and security policy of Germany.
- The Union parties, comprising of the CDU and CSU, have consistently distanced themselves from formal partnerships with the AfD, despite Friedrich Merz, the CDU leader, demonstrating readiness to collaborate on select votes, such as a motion against illegal immigration.
- As polls indicate a steady rise in the AfD's support, surpassing that of the Union, the common foreign and security policy discussions have gained traction within political circles, with Guttenberg's comments being a key point in general-news and politics discourse on WhatsApp and other media platforms.
- The potential alliance between the Union parties and the AfD has sparked debate within the German Bundestag and the Federal Government, with many questioning the common foreign and security policy implications should such an alliance come to fruition.
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