With a no-confidence vote on the horizon, there are some Alternative for Germany (AfD) party MPs who say the party should consider voting in favor of Chancellor Olaf Scholz staying in power. While such a position seems unthinkable from the AfD, at least one of these politicians argues that Scholz is the lesser evil compared to Friedrich Merz, the leader of the Christian Democrats (CDU).
The politician in question, Jürgen Pohl, wrote on Telegram: “I would like to state clearly and officially that I do not want to see Mr. Merz in a position of responsibility under any circumstances… I must and I will therefore vote for Scholz in the vote of confidence, for Scholz is the lesser evil.”
Merz is expected to win upcoming elections and become chancellor after forming a coalition government with the Greens or SPD. However, other configurations are also possible.
While speaking to Politico, which broke the story, another AfD MP, Christina Baum, said that she would also consider doing the same, saying: “A vote for Scholz is definitely worth considering.”
The main point of contention is Merz’s commitment to escalating the war in Ukraine against Russia, including promises to supply Taurus long-range missiles. The AfD is generally in favor of securing peace and implementing a ceasefire, and in the former East Germany, this sentiment is even stronger than in the West.
Other MPs from the eastern branch of the AfD may also consider voting for Scholz.
“East Germans have a different position on war and peace than the West German members,” said Pohl. While Scholz has generally supported Ukraine, he has ruled out Taurus missiles for Ukraine and balked at significant arms transfers.
Voting for Scholz, however, is currently out of the question for the AfD’s party leadership. Scholz is known for his far-left views on a range of issues, and his party was instrumental in reshaping Germany’s immigration system, including accelerating naturalization for hundreds of thousands of migrants.
“The parliamentary group leadership has been calling for new elections for months and will therefore recommend not expressing its trust in the chancellor,” said a spokesman for co-party leader Alice Weidel, according to the report.
Even with the vote of some AfD politicians, Scholz is almost certainly headed for the exit. Enough MPs from the ruling coalition have signaled they will vote against him to secure enough votes for new elections.
