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Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer described the CDU’s dilemma in dealing with the AfD as follows: “For example, the question is: if we have an application in the city council and the AfD votes without our intervention, do I have to withdraw it?” The CDU leader believes that giving the AfD an instrument to constantly demonstrate to other parties. “We do not seek or support any cooperation with the AfD. But we will not allow our applications to be ruined by such behavior on the part of the AfD, ”he told Tagesspiegel in October. “The firewall against the AfD is extremely important.”
So far, he has been silent about the current climb in Magdeburg, but there is already an intense search for exits, because the fire wall threatens to collapse again here. At the beginning of the year, FDP politician Thomas Kemmerich caused a national stir when he was elected Prime Minister of Thuringia with the votes of the CDU, FDP and AfD. Is something similar happening in Saxony-Anhalt?
In any case, the CDU, SPD and Greens coalition is currently being tested. The problem: on January 1, the fee for the radio license that goes to public broadcasters in Germany will increase by 86 cents to 18.36 euros per month.
Are the SPD and the Greens violating the coalition agreement?
For this to actually happen, all German state parliaments must approve the change in the State Treaty. If only one state disagrees, the planned increase will collapse (ARD and ZDF could go to Federal Constitutional Court). With the exception of Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt, all federal states have already voted in favor of the increase.
The coalition partners in Saxony-Anhalt, the Greens and the SPD, are now attacking the CDU parliamentary group, which opposes the increase in the contribution. However, the parliamentary group refers to the coalition agreement, where it says on page 136: “In funding public service broadcasting, we adhere to the goal of stable contributions.”
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The case described by Kramp-Karrenbauer for a city council is now becoming a major problem at a higher political level. The vote on the 86-cent monthly increase expires on December 15. The CDU parliamentary group (30 seats) wants to prevent this against the will of its prime minister Reiner Haseloff. Since the AfD (21 seats) also wants to accept a rejection, it could jointly tilt the increase in the contribution in the state parliament (87 seats) for now. That could spell the premature end of Kenya’s first coalition of CDU, SPD and Greens, apparently because of the 86 cents.
Are the “publics” too West German?
But there are also several fundamental issues behind this dispute. The Saxony-Anhalt CDU maintains that the “public” is too West German. At the same time, there are MPs who want a more relaxed approach to the AfD. Regardless, a new state parliament will be elected on June 6, 2021, after which this issue could emerge with greater force.
For the CDU there are always new problems to maintain the “firewall”. Especially in East Germany, where the AfD achieved great electoral successes. The debate recalls the case of Thuringia with the election of Kemmerich as prime minister in the short term. Failed mediation attempts led to the resignation of Kramp-Karrenbauer, who is still in office because the party’s congress was postponed due to the crown.
In the case of Saxony-Anhalt, it can be argued that the contribution of € 17.50, which has remained unchanged since 2015, would have to be increased slightly after adjusting for inflation. This finances more than 20 stations as well as dozens of radio and online offerings, especially during the crown crisis, according to polls, the reputation of public broadcasting with the ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandfunk pillars has increased.
The SPD and the Greens want to accept the premium increase. Aren’t they the ones breaking the coalition agreement? SPD Secretary General Lars Klingbeil rejects Tagesspiegel’s request: “The 16 federal states have reached a compromise on how public broadcasting can be strengthened. The prime minister of the CDU of Saxony-Anhalt, Haseloff, helped to negotiate this compromise. ”
The fact that the CDU is now opposing its own Prime Minister and seeking new majorities together with the AfD represents a complete breaking of the dam. “In the coming days, the CDU will have to decide whether to hold on to the basic democratic consensus that you shouldn’t work with the Nazis. The fact that the federal government is silent on this is not a good sign. ”
Stahlknecht wants to overcome rejection
The head of the CDU country, Holger Stahlknecht, wants to maintain the rejection. “There is a justified parliamentary group decision on the matter,” he told “Spiegel”. For years, the East has not received enough media attention. “Then there is the crisis of the crown. Everybody has to tighten their belts. ”
Media policy spokesman Markus Kurz emphasized that the CDU in Saxony-Anhalt had its contribution stability and affordability program for ten years in election programs and coalition agreements. “The CDU in Saxony-Anhalt has had its contribution stability and affordability program in its electoral programs and coalition agreements for ten years. Ten years ago there was no AfD. We make our own policy, you can’t link that. “
