Merz Clings to a Firewall Abandoned by His Voters

Saxony’s premier, Christian Democratic Union (CDU) politician Michael Kretschmer, started a firestorm on July 22 when he called for an end to the participation of the CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), in the Brandmauer (firewall) prohibiting cooperation with the Alternative for Germany (AfD).