The coalition of Union and SPD is facing increasing pressure due to the rising support for the AfD. CSU leader Markus Söder stated on Saturday at the Catholic Day in Würzburg that a failure of the government could have fatal consequences. He warned, “If a democratic government fails again, for whatever reason, we are heading down the Weimar path.”
Alexander Hoffmann, the CSU parliamentary group leader in the Bundestag, emphasized that the coalition must find solutions to current problems to prevent radical fringes from gaining ground. Historians point out that the parallels to the Weimar Republic are limited; however, the AfD is growing and reaching poll ratings of up to 29 percent.
To address the challenges of the economic crisis and the pressure ahead of the upcoming state elections, the federal government is planning a comprehensive reform package. This will cover key issues such as taxes, the labor market, pensions, and reducing bureaucracy. SPD parliamentary group leader Miersch expressed optimism, believing that the coalition will find compromises, as demonstrated with the tariff loyalty law.
The coming weeks will be crucial to demonstrate the coalition’s ability to act and to show voters that they take the challenges seriously.
EuroPulse reported on May 12 about the rising poll ratings of the AfD and the associated challenges for the coalition, https://www.euro-pulse.de/afD-umfrage.
