The state association of the Free Voters (FW) in Saxony does not want to back down in the dispute with the federal party over a firewall to the AfD. "It is neither an objective nor desirable to enter into strategic alliances with the AfD. However, we don't want to put their voters behind a firewall, but rather find a solution to their problems," said the head of the FW in Saxony, Thomas Weidinger, on Friday in response to an inquiry. Not wanting to have anything to do with them would be wrong.
At their national party conference for the European elections on Saturday, the Free Voters distanced themselves from political extremism. 92 percent of the more than 440 members voted in Bitburg in favor of a motion prohibiting cooperation with the Alternative for Germany. A supplementary motion was unanimously adopted to exclude cooperation with extreme political forces on the left and right spectrum.
The party rejects firewalls against political opponents, Weidinger made clear in a statement afterwards. On Friday, he said: "We will not deviate one millimeter from the content of our press release, we consider firewalls to be the wrong tool. I also don't see how our press release violates the party conference resolution," Weidinger emphasized. He is "very relaxed" about any party expulsion proceedings.
