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EU Observer (22 October 2025)

Hannah Kriwak

As Germany readies itself for five separate state elections early next year, chancellor Friedrich Merz's centre-right Christian Democrats faces a dilemma over how to handle the surging influence and popularity of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

In the run-up to the CDU party convention last weekend, voices within the party calling for collaboration with the extremists gained traction — raising concerns over the party’s shift to the right and normalisation of extremism in Germany.

Merz himself rejected such a scenario at a press conference on Monday (20 October).

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