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Will the CDU help the AfD secure the vice-presidency of the Hessian State Parliament in November?
echo-online.de/politik/politik-hessen/verhilft-die-hessen-cdu-der-afd-zum-landtagsvizepraesidenten-6546947
Will the CDU help the AfD secure the vice-presidency of the Hessian State ...
Key FactsBoris Rhein changes tone toward the AfD
Oct 12, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: faz.net
  • Rhein says the CDU should distinguish itself from the AfD without excluding it, while rejecting coalition or tolerance.

  • According to F.A.Z. reporting, Rhein opposed Saxony-Anhalt relinquishing the MPK chair; Rhineland-Palatinate retains it for another year.

  • Rhein received strong support within the CDU faction; only legislator Max Schad objected, while SPD lawmaker Lisa Gnadl warned against approaching the AfD.

  • AfD candidate Lothar Mulch failed in an early-October vote for state parliament vice-president; whether a more moderate candidate will be nominated remains uncertain.
  • Any approach to the AfD I consider highly dangerous – especially for the parties that present themselves as representatives of a conservative-bourgeois milieu.
    — Lisa Gnadl, Parliamentary Managing Director of the SPD parliamentary group in the Hessian state parliament, in an interview with the F.A.Z.
CDU member distances himself from the firewall concept - | SPD warns: "Whoever moves closer to it leaves the center"
fnp.de/politik/boris-rhein-fordert-neuen-umgang-mit-afd-kritik-an-brandmauer-zr-94536563.html
CDU member distances himself from the firewall concept - | SPD warns: ...
Hessian CDU: Is Boris Rhein shifting to the right?: With his demands regarding the "cityscape" debate and the AfD's appointment as committee chair at the ...
faz.net/aktuell/rhein-main/region-und-hessen/hessische-cdu-schwenkt-boris-rhein-nach-rechts-201296294.html
Hessian CDU: Is Boris Rhein shifting to the right?
Opinion"Cityscape" debate: "Those who immigrate must pay in" - | CDU pushes for new rules on social benefits for migrants
welt.de/politik/deutschland/article6abf3daad4d0c24ec26d0ef3/stadtbild-debatte-wer-einwandert-muss-einzahlen-cdu-draengt-auf-neue-regeln-bei-sozialleistungen-fuer-migranten.html
Key FactsCDU revives “Stadtbild” debate, considers new welfare rules
Oct 2, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: welt.de
  • CDU General Secretary Franziska Hoppermann calls for different job-center support and placement for people who previously paid into social insurance systems.

  • Hoppermann also sees fairness gaps in health insurance because previous contributions currently do not lead to different treatment.

  • Rhein links improving the urban environment to infrastructure investment, greater police presence and clear migration rules.

  • Representatives of the SPD, FDP and Greens criticized the debate as ineffective and warned against scapegoats.
  • Migration without clear rules and integration endangers social peace. Migration with rules and successful integration can be an opportunity for our country.
    — Boris Rhein, Prime Minister of Hesse (CDU), in a guest contribution on The Pioneer
Hoppermann on the cityscape: "We have to talk about this": We mustn't close our eyes to the problems of failed integration and uncontrolled migration ...
focus.de/politik/deutschland/hoppermann-zu-stadtbild-darueber-muessen-wir-doch-reden_b291e9c1-c86e-4810-83aa-d85b24829d85.html
Hoppermann on the cityscape:
End of the exclusion: While Merz is under pressure, Rhein demands a change of course from the CDU in dealing with the AfD
tz.de/politik/umgang-mit-der-afd-ministerpraesident-rhein-fordert-kurswechsel-der-cdu-zr-94496077.html
End of the exclusion: While Merz is under pressure, Rhein demands a change ...
The Hessian CDU and Boris Rhein are confident of victory in the local elections on March 15th.
wiesbadener-kurier.de/politik/politik-hessen/hessen-cdu-geht-siegessicher-in-die-kommunalwahl-5362702
The Hessian CDU and Boris Rhein are confident of victory in the local ...
Rhein rules out cooperation with AfD in municipalities: Hesse's Minister-President Boris Rhein continues to see no basis whatsoever for cooperation between ...
giessener-allgemeine.de/politik/rhein-schliesst-zusammenarbeit-mit-afd-in-kommunen-aus-zr-94107098.html
Rhein rules out cooperation with AfD in municipalities
Key FactsRhein Rejects CDU Cooperation with AfD in Local Votes
Jan 3, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: giessener-allgemeine.de
  • Boris Rhein rules out any collaboration between the CDU and AfD across all political levels.

  • He condemns the AfD for its ties to Putin's Russia, its worldview, and rejection of the EU and NATO.

  • Rhein emphasizes the need to confront AfD policies openly to reveal their impact on economy and society.

  • The local elections on March 15, 2026, are vital for assessing political attitudes and democratic values locally.
  • This is a party with which we Christian Democrats cannot work together.
    — Boris Rhein, Prime Minister of Hesse, stated this in an interview regarding the upcoming municipal elections and the position of the AfD.
Escalation due to AfD youth congress: Hesse's Minister President calls on left-wing camp to distance itself from "weekend of violence"
welt.de/politik/deutschland/article692c2caabfd2aab7f514c089/eskalation-wegen-afd-jugendkongress-hessens-ministerpraesident-ruft-linkes-lager-zu-distanzierung-von-gewalt-wochenende-auf.html
Escalation due to AfD youth congress: Hesse's Minister President calls on ...
Key FactsViolence and Protests at AfD Youth Congress in Gießen
Nov 30, 2025 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: welt.de
  • Hesse’s Prime Minister Boris Rhein condemned the violent incidents linked to the AfD youth congress as a low point of left-wing aggression.

  • He urged moderate left-wing groups to distance themselves from the violence and promote democratic engagement with AfD supporters.

  • Protests on Saturday led to at least ten police officers sustaining minor injuries and involved attacks with fluorescent ammunition and thrown bottles.

  • Law enforcement used water cannons and pepper spray to clear blockades and secure access to the congress venue.
  • The violent marches in Gießen were a leftist low point. Those who try to prevent and attack gatherings with violence, threats, and aggressive demonstrations do not protect our democracy, but rather attack it.
    — Hesse's Prime Minister Boris Rhein (CDU) commented on the violent riots surrounding the AfD youth congress in Gießen.
Because of vote with AfD: Michel Friedman resigns from CDU: Following the joint vote with the AfD in the Bundestag, publicist Michel Friedman has resigned from ...
zdf.de/nachrichten/politik/deutschland/michel-friedman-cdu-austritt-abstimmung-afd-100.html
Because of vote with AfD: Michel Friedman resigns from CDU
Key FactsFriedman Exits CDU Amid Controversial Vote
Jan 30, 2025 · Reading time: ~30 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: tagesschau.de
  • Michel Friedman has left the CDU following the party's vote with the AfD in the Bundestag to pass a resolution tightening asylum laws.

  • He described this as a 'catastrophic turning point' for democracy and criticized the normalization of the AfD by the Union.

  • This vote marked the first instance in the Bundestag where the AfD acted as a majority supplier and is expected to influence local politics as well.

  • The hessian CDU faces pressure due to these developments, as the SPD and Greens reject collaboration, straining the coalition.
Elecciones regionales en Hesse: Boris Rhein - Por qué sigue siendo importante: El primer ministro de la CDU de Hesse, Boris Rhein, sigue los pasos de hombres ...
t-online.de/nachrichten/deutschland/innenpolitik/id_100246502/landtagswahl-in-hessen-boris-rhein-darum-bleibt-er-wichtig-.html
Elecciones regionales en Hesse: Boris Rhein - Por qué sigue siendo ...