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
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Rhein Rejects CDU Cooperation with AfD in Local VotesOn March 15, 2026, Rhein highlights the crucial role of local elections for democracy and economic stability in Hesse.
Key FactsJan 3, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: giessener-allgemeine.de
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.
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elections for municipal (local urban) governments, usually for a council and/or a mayor
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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
Local elections: Rhine rules out cooperation with AfD in municipalities: Hesse's Minister President Boris Rhein still sees no basis for cooperation between his ...
rundschau-online.de/politik/dpa-politik/rhein-schliesst-zusammenarbeit-mit-afd-in-kommunen-aus-1180634
Rhein rules out cooperation with AfD in municipalities: Hesse's Minister-President Boris Rhein continues to see no basis whatsoever for cooperation between ...
op-online.de/politik/rhein-schliesst-zusammenarbeit-mit-afd-in-kommunen-aus-zr-94107098.html
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Will the CDU help the AfD secure the vice-presidency of the Hessian State Parliament in November?
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Key FactsBoris Rhein changes tone toward the AfD
Oct 12, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: faz.net
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"
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Key FactsRhein supports AfD chairs on Bundestag committees
Oct 4, 2026 · Reading time: ~45 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: tagesschau.de
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: tagesschau.de
- Rhein says the CDU should support AfD candidates in elections for Bundestag committee chairs.
- The AfD nominated candidates who failed to secure the necessary majorities in the Bundestag’s respective elections.
- Rhein rules out substantive cooperation and continues opposing the initiation of proceedings to ban the AfD.
- After the state election in Saxony-Anhalt, Rhein advocated speaking with everyone and greater openness toward AfD voters.
What kind of stance is that, leaving people behind a firewall? There's a fire there—and we won't bring the people out from behind the firewall? That's not Christian Democratic.— Boris Rhein, Hessian Minister-President and CDU state chairman, on openness to AfD voters (quoted in the article).
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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
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.
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Key FactsFriedman Exits CDU Amid Controversial Vote
Jan 30, 2025 · Reading time: ~30 sec.
Summary created with AI assistance · Source: tagesschau.de
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.
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