"Lessons from Austria"

Söder sees FPÖ success as a warning for Germany

CSU leader and Bavarian Minister President Markus Söder is concerned about the political developments in Austria.

(Bild: APA/dpa/Pool/Michael Kappeler)

Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder expressed concern about the political developments in neighboring Austria, where the right-wing FPÖ has been given the task of forming a government. He sees this as a warning that a political change must succeed in Germany in order to prevent the further strengthening of radical parties.

"First of all, it is a decision for Austria itself," said the CSU chairman at the meeting of the CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag at Seeon Monastery on Monday. We have to see what comes of it. "But the development is of course not good."

"Political change in Germany must now succeed"
Söder also took the political events in his neighboring country as an opportunity to warn against a black-green alliance in Germany, which he strictly rejects: "Austria has shown where black-green leads: only to the extreme strengthening of other forces, there the FPÖ." It would be the same here with the AfD, said the CSU leader.

He and CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt also saw the developments in Austria as proof that Germany needs more than just a change of government in the federal elections on February 23. "The lesson to be learned from Austria is that a change of policy in Germany simply has to succeed now. Otherwise there is a risk that radical parties will continue to grow," warned Dobrindt.

German right-wing populists are always worse because they are always the worst of all.

Bayerns Ministerpräsident Markus Söder (CSU)

Söder pointed out that the FPÖ has a different tradition to the AfD. The FPÖ is in government in many federal states and has already been in the Austrian federal government. In addition, "German right-wing populists are always worse because they are always the worst of all."

Chancellor candidate Merz rules out cooperation with AfD
The mandate to form a government for the right-wing FPÖ in Austria raises new hopes for the AfD in Germany. In a statement, party leader Alice Weidel called on the CDU/CSU to stop distancing itself from the AfD. "The last hour of the 'firewall' will soon strike here too," Weidel said with conviction.

However, the AfD's poll results paint a different picture: at around 18.9 percent, it is far behind the Christian Democratic Union. They are currently leading with 32.1 percentage points. Union Chancellor candidate Merz had categorically ruled out cooperation with the AfD.