Chairmen of district organizations of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Saxony have sent an open letter to party leader and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, calling for the immediate abandonment of the policy of the so-called “firewall” against the Alternative for Germany (AfD). This was reported by the news portal NIUS.
In German politics, the term “firewall” refers to the CDU’s complete rejection of official cooperation with the AfD. According to NIUS, Saxon party leaders believe that this policy has contributed to the CDU’s recent poor election results and are calling for a change of course.
The letter comes amid intense pressure
The message to Merz was sent on the eve of the two-day meeting of the chairmen of the CDU’s district organizations in Berlin. The forum began on November 2 at the party’s Konrad Adenauer headquarters and continues on November 3. Around 160 representatives from nearly 330 district organizations are expected to take part, German media reported.
The meeting was convened following a series of unfavorable results for the CDU. In September, the party failed to enter the parliament of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania for the first time in its history. In Saxony, all 13 CDU district chairmen have already called for an extraordinary conference to discuss a “new start” for the party and the restoration of voters’ trust, the Dresdner Neueste Nachrichten reported.
The discontent is not limited to the party’s stance toward the AfD. Some local party leaders are also questioning the combination of the chancellorship with the party chairmanship. The chairman of the CDU in Oldenburg-Land, Bastian Ernst, proposed discussing the separation of the two posts, along the lines of the model under which Angela Merkel was chancellor but no longer headed the party.
Differences within the CDU over relations with the AfD are deepening
The pressure from Saxony coincides with softer rhetoric from the local party leadership. In July 2026, the state’s Minister-President Michael Kretschmer said that the CDU should talk to all political forces willing to engage in dialogue: “Anyone who still talks about firewalls has not understood the signs of the times. We must talk to anyone who wants to talk.” The statement was quoted by NIUS.
However, the CDU’s federal leadership continues to reject official cooperation with the AfD. Merz himself is once again under pressure from within his own party after, according to NIUS, chairmen from Saxony held him personally responsible for the electoral defeats and called for an immediate change in policy.
Talks with local party leaders are continuing, while the next key moment for the leadership will be the meeting of the party’s bodies on November 9, when the candidacy for federal president is expected to be discussed.
Sources: nius.de, dnn.de, t-online.de