Manfred Weber calls EU "brand wall" strategy a massive burden
CSU vice-president Manfred Weber says the EU’s “brand wall” approach of excluding the AfD is now a huge strain for the European People’s Party.
Manfred Weber, CSU vice-president and head of the European People’s Party and its European Parliament faction, announced that the long-standing “brand wall” of refusing any cooperation with the AfD must be abandoned. He described the policy as a “giant burden” because it compels the Union to repeatedly vote with left-wing parties in state parliaments such as Thüringen and Sachsen, pushing its agenda further left. At the same time, the AfD can still influence CDU positions, which the brand wall would require the Union to reject.
Weber’s criticism comes after the September elections in Saxony-Anhalt, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Berlin, which have raised questions about the political cost of the strategy. He also referenced France’s experience, noting that President Emmanuel Macron’s “Le Pen or me” stance did not prevent a possible National Rally victory. The remarks were made ahead of the CDU leadership retreat, where regional leaders like Mario Voigt are calling for a clear policy platform.
Why it matters
Weber’s reversal could reshape how Germany’s centre-right parties engage with the far-right AfD and affect EU coalition dynamics.
How this story developed
- Sep 23 Heidenau city council will vote on a motion, supported by CDU and AfD members, to reject two proposed Stolpersteine for Fritz and Martha Goldstein and instead favor a collective memorial at the Nordfriedhof.
- Sep 24 Merz faces mounting pressure after the regional setbacks.
- Sep 24 The Israeli ambassador warned of an “immediate existential threat” to Berlin’s Jewish community over alleged antisemitism in the party.
- Sep 24 The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance pledged support for the AfD’s speaker nominee, creating a parliamentary majority for the AfD in Saxony‑Anhalt.
- Sep 27 The council has scheduled a vote on the proposed ban.
- Sep 27 SPD and Greens issued a joint warning demanding Die Linke reject antisemitism and clan crime before coalition talks proceed.
- Sep 29 AfD parliamentary group chair Ulrich Siegmund said he will stand for the Minister-President post in the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament in December.
- Oct 3 Historian Brendan Simms warned that the return of great‑power competition is reshaping security and challenging Swiss defence.
- Oct 3 Tobias Rausch was elected speaker of the Landtag.
- Oct 3 AfD now ahead of the Union in the latest INSA Sunday poll, widening the gap.
- Oct 5 The council moved from debating the proposal to formally approving the resolution that declines new Stolpersteine applications.
- Oct 7 A secret ballot produced undisclosed extra votes, prompting CDU leaders to demand an investigation.
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