What is the 'political firewall' against Germany's far-right AfD?
Germany's centrist parties reject any cooperation with the Alternative for Germany (AfD), parts of which are classified as right-wing extremist. However, this policy is coming under increasing pressure.
The political firewall serves as a metaphor for a strict boundary intended to protect democracy from extremist parties. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) is frequently dubbed as a hostile party to democracy by German intelligence agencies, but no formal decision has been made by the Federal Constitutional Court to ban the party as a whole.
Despite calls for an AfD ban, none have been filed yet. The term "political firewall" gained popularity mainly due to Friedrich Merz, the leader of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who vowed to create such a barrier against the AfD in 2021. The CDU has also adopted a resolution of incompatibility, rejecting coalitions or cooperation with the AfD and the socialist Left Party, except for situations where the CDU seeks majorities without AfD support.
However, Merz's party has occasionally supported AfD votes in practice, leading to accusations of breaching the firewall policy. Critics argue that such cooperation normalizes the AfD and could eventually spread its influence. Despite efforts to limit the firewall's reach, AfD poll ratings continue to rise, particularly in eastern Germany where other parties have had to collaborate to prevent AfD-led governments.
The CDU and its chair, Thorsten Frei, firmly uphold the firewall policy, rejecting deviations and emphasizing the need for cooperation with all parties willing to engage in dialogue.
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