Alice Weidel, co-chair of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), has declined a proposal from the Alliance for Progress and Renewal (BSW) for joint campaign appearances but expressed willingness to engage in dialogue after the elections.

Alice Weidel, co-chair of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), has rejected a proposal from the Alliance for Progress and Renewal (BSW) for joint campaign events ahead of the upcoming state elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Saxony-Anhalt this September. According to a statement from Weidel’s spokesperson, reported by ‘Der Spiegel,’ the AfD is open to dialogue but emphasized that each party is responsible for its own election campaign. Despite declining the pre-election collaboration, Weidel did not rule out discussions with the BSW after the elections, contingent on the BSW surpassing the five-percent vote threshold.

The proposal from the BSW included public debates between party leaders, such as Alice Weidel and BSW founder Sahra Wagenknecht, on marketplaces in Schwerin and Magdeburg. However, the suggestion faced strong opposition from AfD representatives in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Leif-Erik Holm, AfD’s co-chair in the state and its candidate for Minister-President, dismissed the idea as a political stunt, stating that the BSW was attempting to gain attention through what he described as a ‘poisoned letter.’ Holm reiterated that the AfD is focused on governing independently and is campaigning with that goal in mind.

The BSW leadership, including Fabio De Masi, Amira Mohamed Ali, and Oliver Ruhnert, had sent a letter to AfD leaders proposing the debates and outlining their post-election goals. The BSW stated that their aim is to replace current incumbents with non-partisan Minister-Presidents who would govern with shifting majorities, potentially involving the AfD. However, BSW’s Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania chair, Peter Schabbel, clarified that the party would neither form a coalition with the AfD nor support an AfD Minister-President. The letter also highlighted ideological differences between the two parties, criticizing the AfD for harboring individuals with extremist views while questioning the concept of a strict separation from the AfD, known as the ‘firewall.’