CDU Sends Pre-Written Resignation Letters to All AfD Lawmakers
The Christian Democratic Union sent prefabricated resignation letters to all Alternative for Germany lawmakers with an anti-AfD pamphlet containing claims a Berlin court ruled false.
The resignation template, obtained exclusively by Nius, is addressed to AfD headquarters and carries the subject line “My Resignation from Alternative for Germany.” Multiple AfD lawmakers in the Bundestag confirmed receiving the documents.
The prewritten letter declares an immediate resignation and references the enclosed brochure titled “Decline for Germany. No Alternative.” The text states that after reading the pamphlet, the hypothetical signatory feels confirmed in their decision to no longer belong to the party “politically and personally.” It concludes by requesting written confirmation of membership termination, revoking any direct debit authorizations, and demanding deletion of personal data where legally permissible.
The accompanying brochure has sparked significant controversy for making claims that a Berlin regional court has since ruled as substantially false. The pamphlet accused the AfD of planning to “deport millions of people, including German citizens,” an assertion originally promoted by the media outlet Correctiv in what it called an exposé of a secret plan. The court has now banned this characterization as essentially untrue, as Nius previously reported.
The CDU is promoting the letter campaign on social media with accompanying video content. The brochure also labels various AfD statements as “contemptuous mockery of humanity” or “damaging to democracy,” though numerous observers have characterized these purported examples as distorted representations of actual positions.
Bernd Baumann, First Parliamentary Managing Director of the AfD parliamentary group, responded sharply to the initiative. He characterized the mailing as an expression of absolute helplessness, noting that the AfD currently leads the CDU by seven percentage points in polling. Baumann argued that the letter and brochure demonstrate the exaggerations and slanders to which the CDU and Chancellor Friedrich Merz must resort because they lack genuine arguments for maintaining their firewall against cooperation with the AfD.
The mass distribution of resignation templates represents an unusual tactical move in German politics, where mainstream parties have maintained a strict cordon sanitaire around the AfD despite its growing electoral strength. The inclusion of material containing judicially prohibited falsehoods raises questions about the legal exposure the CDU may face from the campaign.
The timing of the initiative comes as Germany faces ongoing coalition instability and as the AfD continues to gain ground in both federal and state polling. The party has capitalized on public dissatisfaction with immigration policy, energy costs, and economic stagnation under the current government.
With information from Nius
