CDU and Left Party excluded from TV debate in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, leaving SPD vs AfD duel

First invited, then uninvited: RTL/ntv plans to hold a televised debate for the state election without the CDU and the Left Party. Both parties suspect the SPD is behind the decision.

Published: August 10, 2026 — 7:59 PM

"Unacceptable incident": CDU state leader and top candidate Daniel Peters Photo: Jens Büttner/dpa

By Rainer Rutz

It is rare for the CDU and the Left Party in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania to agree on anything. But certain events bring them together. Daniel Peters, the CDU's top candidate for the state election in six weeks, calls it an "unacceptable incident." Left Party state leader Hennis Herbst concurs: "I'm fundamentally opposed to this. It's completely unacceptable."

The incident in question is a decidedly unfriendly act: Both parties were initially invited in writing by the broadcaster group RTL/ntv and the cooperating radio station Ostseewelle in early June to participate in a TV debate ahead of the election on September 20. Now, two months later, they have been uninvited — also in writing, and without explanation.

As RTL/ntv confirmed to taz upon inquiry, the September debate will now feature only a duel between SPD Minister-President Manuela Schwesig and AfD challenger Leif-Erik Holm — the candidates of the two parties leading in the polls. Daniel Peters of the opposition CDU and Simone Oldenburg, the top candidate of the Left Party — which has governed in Schwerin with the SPD for five years — must stay out.

Allegations of Political Interference

So far, unpleasant for those uninvited. But there is an additional serious accusation. According to reports, Schwesig's inner circle is said to have intervened forcefully with RTL/ntv and Ostseewelle on her behalf to prevent a four-person round. The rumored threat: Schwesig would only appear in a duel against AfD man Holm — or not at all. If the broadcasters wanted the head of government on board, it would have to be without "the dwarves" from the Left Party and CDU.

Daniel Peters from the CDU and Hennis Herbst from the Left Party, speaking independently, say this is exactly what was conveyed to them by people involved with the broadcasters. They cannot provide written proof of their accusation, but they say it fits the pattern.

Schwesig's Strategy: Me or the AfD

Head of Government Schwesig has long relied on a confrontational election campaign with the extreme right: Me or the AfD, stability or decline, democracy — that is me, Manuela Schwesig. It is possible her strategy will succeed on September 20. But it is also possible that the SPD's potential coalition partners will be left by the wayside.

For the opposition CDU, things threaten to become uncomfortable. The conservatives — for many years the ruling party in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania — have slipped to 9 percent in the latest poll. Top candidate Peters holds the public focus on a two-way race between the SPD and the AfD at least partly responsible for this.

According to Peters, the Minister-President's strategy is solely about maintaining power, without regard for losses and possible collateral damage. "Manuela Schwesig does not want to save democracy, Manuela Schwesig wants to save Manuela Schwesig," Peters told taz. In doing so, the head of government "consciously gives the AfD a large media platform." More than that: "She is thereby strengthening the AfD."

Hennis Herbst from Schwesig's left-wing coalition partner puts it more diplomatically: "By ensuring that the Left and the CDU are uninvited, you are ultimately only giving the AfD more airtime." That may be in the interest of polarization, he said, but "the democratic debate" suffers as a result.