The statements of the CDU party leader on cooperation with the AfD in municipalities meet with fierce resistance from his own ranks. The new CDU general secretary, Carsten Linnemann, defended Merz, on the other hand, saying that it was clear to theCDU that there was "no cooperation" with AfD. Merz had emphasized in the ZDF summer interview that the Union would not cooperate with theAfD. But he limited the limitation only to "legislative bodies" at the European, federal or state level.