Landtagswahl in Sachsen-Anhalt: Brandmauer gegen die AfD - gescheitert oder unverzichtbar?

Since 13 years, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) has existed. This year, it could make history by standing for the first time before a government in the Landtag elections of Sachsen-Anhalt. Even more, the constitutionally protected right-wing extremist state association of the party, led by its main candidate Ulrich Siegmund, aims to form a solo government.

Recent polls suggest that such a scenario is not ruled out. Does this mark the end of the "Brandmauer," the exclusion of the AfD from political participation by other parties? And how should one deal with the AfD instead? These questions are addressed in an anthology titled "Brandmauer" (Herder Verlag), which gathers numerous expert voices, including prominent figures such as former SPD boss Sigmar Gabriel and Reiner Haseloff (CDU), who was the former Prime Minister of Sachsen-Anhalt until January.

Other contributors include former Finance Minister Theo Waigel (CSU), Evangelical theologian Margot Käßmann, and Christian Kullmann, a spokesperson from the chemical company Evonik, one of the few outspoken AfD critics from the business world. Gabriel: The fire has spread significantly. Almost all contributions in "Brandmauer" share a deep skepticism regarding the continuation of the exclusion strategy against the AfD.

Gabriel, in an interview with the Deutsche Presse-Agentur, states that the fire has spread considerably in political debates. While it remains meaningful as an internal attitude of democratic parties, he argues that it is no longer sufficient to avoid discussing or ignoring the "real problems" that fuel the AfD's success. Gabriel believes that the established parties must address these issues, particularly the integration of refugees who arrived after 2015.

He also recommends that Berlin politicians return to the region, listen, address social problems, and stop debates about language and gender. Former Vice Chancellor Gabriel urges the SPD and other parties to focus on social and infrastructural issues and deal with them decisively. He advises the SPD and other parties to modernize the welfare state so that people no longer rely on the government for their responsibility.

Haseloff: The AfD does not need to do much. Gabriel suggests that the welfare state should be modernized so that it does not relieve people of responsibility. He advises the Union not to open up further to the right, as this would destroy the core of the CDU and split the party. Haseloff considers exclusion as central, but Gabriel believes that the media's negative headlines and negative perceptions of the region contribute to the AfD's success.

He argues that the AfD does not need to do much, as the permanent portrayal of the region as "frightful" makes it easy for the AfD to claim they will "turn the country around." Gabriel advocates for a composed response to a possible AfD victory in Sachsen-Anhalt, acknowledging a potential loss of inner liberalism but emphasizing that the republic is not destroyed and that Weimar is not imminent.