@article{2019:holzhauser:erosion_de,
title = {Erosion der Abgrenzung? Das Verhältnis der CDU zur Linkspartei in historischer Perspektive},
year = {2019},
note = {Up to this day, German Christian Democrats have ruled out any
cooperation with the Left Party, citing its alleged radicalism and
extremism. Yet in recent months, leading members of the CDU have
challenged this strategy, suggesting “pragmatism” and
“normalization” between both parties. These recent debates are not
completely new. They have their forerunners in the 1990s when the CDU
argued over how to deal with the PDS, the Left Party’s predecessor
party, and at times even pursued a strategy of détente and
rapprochement towards the PDS. These debates were characterized by
structural, strategic and cultural differences between East and West:
Whilst the CDU party leadership relied on the anti-extremism of its
West German voters, many East German Christian Democrats tried to win
over a post-socialist electorate that regarded the PDS as an ordinary
democratic party. This difference of political cultures still exists
and it may become even more relevant this year - not only in dealing
with the Left Party but also with the right-wing AfD.},
journal = {ZParl Zeitschrift für Parlamentsfragen},
pages = {130--148},
author = {Holzhauser, Thorsten},
volume = {50},
number = {1}
}