“Fascist politics” Pantisano apologizes to the CDU, which rejects him.

2026-06-22

Luigi Pantisano, the newly appointed leader of Germany’s Left Party (Die Linke), has apologized after sparking outrage with controversial remarks about the CDU (Christlich Demokratische Union — Christian Democratic Union).

Pantisano admitted that his statement claiming there was “no difference” between the CDU and AfD (Alternative für Deutschland — Alternative for Germany) was inaccurate and overly simplistic. He said the comment was made in a reduced form and apologized, particularly to CDU members who continue to support a clear political Brandmauer (firewall) against the AfD.

In his apology, Pantisano stressed that democratic political opponents should not be confused with groups that aim to dismantle democracy. However, he maintained his criticism of the CDU, accusing the party of moving further to the political right, which he believes is harming many people in Germany.

Pantisano also expressed ongoing concern about what he described as a possible Annäherung (rapprochement or growing political closeness) between the CDU and AfD. He said this potential convergence remains deeply worrying and continues to raise serious concerns for him.

The controversy began after Pantisano told Bild in a weekend interview that there was “absolutely no difference” between the CDU, the AfD, and fascists, accusing the CDU of pursuing “fascist politics.” The statement triggered strong reactions from CDU and CSU politicians and caused internal criticism within Die Linke as well.

CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann rejected the apology outright. He called Pantisano’s explanation unacceptable and accused him of trying to escape responsibility by claiming his remarks were shortened. Linnemann argued that comparing Christian Democrats to fascists trivializes the horrors and atrocities of fascism, calling Pantisano a symbol of a new radical left and questioning whether someone with such views should hold public responsibility.