Analysis: The firewall has failed – three better ideas for dealing with the AfD
The state election in Saxony-Anhalt shows that the firewall in its current form has failed. Nevertheless, the center should do everything it can to keep the AfD away from the government. Three ideas.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has made a notable intervention in the Saxony-Anhalt state election campaign, despite being kept out of the public eye by his party until then. In two closed-door meetings, Merz stated that Saxony-Anhalt must not become a testing ground for "angry citizens", referring to potential Alternative for Germany (AfD) voters.
This move has effectively created a barrier between Merz and the far-right movement in Saxony-Anhalt. Merz aims to prevent the AfD from gaining power, citing its incompatibility with the liberal democratic order. He has set a goal to not only exclude the AfD from government but also to halve its support.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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