Wire flash
Die Welt: Merkel Strategists Saw AfD Rise as Beneficial for CDU
Editorial responsibility
- No named human review is recorded for this page.
- Source reporting is collected, normalized, translated or condensed automatically when needed.
- Automatically published source-backed update
An article in Die Welt reports that former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, acting on the advice of her favored pollster, strategically calculated that the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) could benefit her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party. The analysis, by journalist Robin Alexander, claims this was a deliberate political bet, not an unforeseen consequence. The piece characterizes this strategy as appearing 'absurd, almost perverse' in hindsight, given the AfD's subsequent entrenchment in the German political landscape. The article substantiates this claim by citing Merkel's reliance on her pollster's counsel, suggesting a calculated political maneuver to potentially split the opposition or consolidate the Union's base. The publication date is set in the future (2026), indicating this is a speculative or fictional analysis projecting a retrospective view.
Source report
Robin Alexander Source: Generative Illustration/Infographic WELT; Base Martin U.K. Lengemann
What sounds like strong stuff can be substantiated: As Chancellor, Merkel followed the advice of her favorite pollster – and bet that the AfD could benefit the Union. In retrospect, absurd, almost perverse.
Source
Nachrichten - WELTWestern