The favorite to be the next German chancellor, conservative Christian Democrat leader Friedrich Merz, today once again categorically rejected the cooperation of a government he would lead with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
"I have indeed said many times very clearly and decisively: there will be no cooperation with the AfD," said Merz, who leads a bloc made up of his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its sister party, the Christian Social Union of Bavaria (CSU).
"We are fighting for a political majority in the broad center of our democratic spectrum," Merck told a party congress taking place in Berlin on Monday.
When asked if he would accept the AfD's votes for a majority, he replied that in the next convocation of the Bundestag, the lower house of parliament, "there will be new circumstances for the majority."
He said there was now a "vague majority" solely due to the fact that the center-left coalition had broken up.
"This phase will now end with the elections," Merc said.
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The Bundestag elections are scheduled for February 23rd.
The next government will have to make important decisions in economic and migration policy, Merc emphasized.
"I personally stand by this. As is very clear and remains clear without any doubt: we will not cooperate with the AfD," he added.
"We have never cooperated with them, we will not cooperate with them. And there is no need for anyone to worry that it will come to that. It does not happen with us, with me," added the Christian Democrat leader.
On Wednesday, German lawmakers, with the support of the AfD, accepted the proposal of the Christian Democratic Union CDU/CSU to tighten migration policy, which caused a stormy reaction from other parties in parliament.
The five-point plan envisages a ban on entry into Germany without adequate travel documents and for those who intend to seek asylum in Germany.
The AfD called the vote on the Union request a "historic moment" in the Bundestag.
Merz responded by saying that "the people from the AfD can now triumph as they wish," but that there would be no cooperation with that party after the elections.
The day after the election, a vote for the AfD "will be worth nothing," said Merck, adding that those who want a change in policy should vote for the CDU.
According to polls, 30 percent of voters support the CDU/CSU, 20 percent support the AfD, and the Greens and Social Democrats have around 15 percent of voters.
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