He won’t, at least not this year. There are still too many people in the CDU who’d be up in arms against a coalition or any other form of formal cooperation with the AfD, and many of the CDU’s voters are in the same boat. Not necessarily a majority in either case, but a big enough minority to kill any hopes of stable government or of winning an election with the party and electorate split.

Merz knows that. He’s an asshole, not stupid.

Imperial? Between Germany and China there’s one country that claims territory belonging to virtually all of its neighbours - hint, that country is not Germany.