Tension Grows in Germany's CDU After AfD Politician Gets Top Post in Saxony-Anhalt
Chancellor Friedrich Merz is under pressure after AfD's Tobias Rausch was elected president of the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament, possibly with CDU votes. The Politico Berlin Playbook podcast also covers Merz's outreach to the British prime minister and the debate over European air defence.
The so-called firewall, or Brandmauer, against cooperation with the far-right AfD continues to crumble in Germany, putting Chancellor and CDU leader Friedrich Merz in a difficult position. The trigger is the election of AfD politician Tobias Rausch as president of the state parliament in Saxony-Anhalt. He may have been backed by CDU votes, and nervousness within the party is growing.
Losing control of the debate
In the Politico Berlin Playbook podcast, Rasmus Buchsteiner analyses why Merz appears to be losing control of the discussion. Social Democrat Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has added fuel to the situation with a historical comparison.
Reaching out to London
In foreign policy, the chancellor is seeking closer ties with Andy Burnham, the relatively new British prime minister. According to the episode, Merz comes across as a fading figure, while the Labour politician is riding a wave of popularity and openly questioning Brexit. Hans von der Burchard assesses what the meeting means for Europe's security architecture and for a possible revival of the E3 format.
Air defence under scrutiny
The episode's 200-second interview looks at European air defence. After the collapse of the German-French fighter jet project FCAS, the German government is searching for alternatives. Green defence politician Jeanne Dillschneider explains whether joining the rival GCAP programme could be the answer and why time is running short for European self-reliance.
The Berlin Playbook podcast is released every morning from 5 a.m. It is produced by Rixa Fürsen, Maximilian Stascheit and the POLITICO team.
