Former Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel has sharply criticized the SPD and CDU for their concessions to the Sahra Wagenknecht coalition (BSW) in several eastern German states. He called for the BSW's foreign policy demands not to be addressed in coalition negotiations at state level. "It's time that neither the SPD nor the CDU let themselves be led through the ring by Mrs. Wagenknecht's nose ring," the Social Democrat told the "Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung" newspaper.
Wagenknecht's "daily call to please include rejection of the war in Ukraine in the coalition agreements in the eastern German states" is nothing more than "a daily election campaign with anti-American resentment". "If the SPD and CDU weren't so scared, they wouldn't even address this demand by Ms. Wagenknecht. Not even in any preambles or formula compromises."
In Brandenburg, Saxony and Thuringia, there are talks about the possible formation of a government by the SPD and/or CDU with the BSW, which plays a key role in each case due to the complicated majority situation. The BSW has demanded a position on diplomatic efforts in the Ukraine war and on the stationing of US medium-range missiles in Germany, which it opposes. Different compromise formulas have already been negotiated in Brandenburg and Thuringia.
