Scholz characterized the AfD as an ‘anti-pluralistic party’ and drew parallels to 2005, when the SPD refrained from forming alliances with the then-PDS despite a leftist majority. His remarks, which break his previous silence on party matters, suggest underlying concerns within the SPD regarding potential future collaborations between the Union and the AfD. In response, Friedrich Merz of the CDU reminded the SPD of the necessity for compromise in governance, highlighting the political stalemate that persists.