Ayhan Simsek
15 July 2026•Update: 15 July 2026
Chancellor Friedrich Merz has ruled out any cooperation with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, vowing to do everything in his power to prevent it from entering government in any federal state.
“If a right-wing radical party were to enter government in Germany, it would carry a completely different significance,” Merz told a press conference in Berlin on Wednesday. “In Germany, I will do everything in my power to prevent it,” he said.
The conservative leader dismissed suggestions that the AfD might moderate its positions or lose support if it joined a coalition government—as has happened most recently in the Netherlands—and stressed that Germany’s history makes such comparisons invalid.
“I draw no lessons from it for Germany—because the situation in Germany is different,” Merz said. “That is also linked to our own history. And that is why, for me, it serves neither as a benchmark, an example, nor a case study,” he added.
His remark came ahead of regional elections in September in three federal states where the AfD is polling strongly. The party leads with 41% in Saxony-Anhalt and 36% in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, raising concerns it could emerge as the largest force.
Chancellor Merz said he is optimistic that his Christian Democrats (CDU) will perform strongly in the upcoming regional elections and be in a position to form coalition governments with other democratic parties in these federal states.
“The election campaigns are just getting underway,” Merz said. “I remain confident that we will succeed in preventing the AfD from securing a parliamentary majority in any of the three states—particularly in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania,” he added. “I will maintain this optimism right up until 6 pm on election night.”
Merz also called on voters frustrated with the current government not to be swayed by the AfD’s social media messaging, but to examine the coalition’s reform efforts, which he said are beginning to yield results in economic recovery and social welfare.
“Take a close look. Don’t rely solely on social media activity for information; instead, look at what the government is trying to initiate,” he said. “We are striving, to the best of our knowledge and conscience, to stabilize our country and move it forward. We do not want socio-political conflicts; rather, we seek the highest possible level of societal consensus.”
Merz warns against US interference in elections
Asked about reports that the Trump administration has set up a funding program to support anti-immigration political groups in Europe, and whether it could be used to back AfD-linked groups in Germany ahead of the elections, Merz warned that the move would violate German law.
“We do not interfere in US elections; we have consistently adhered to that stance,” said Merz, adding that Germany likewise expects the Trump administration, or institutions close to it, not to interfere in German elections.
“I should add that it is illegal to fund political parties in Germany from abroad. It is illegal,” he stressed. “And I assume that our friends around the world, in particular, will abide by the legal rules we have established in Germany.”
