Germany: What is the 'AfD firewall'? – DW – 01/31/2025


Germany: What is the

31 Jan 2025 Germany's conservatives were able to pass a strict immigration motion with votes by the far-right party, marking a historic breach of the "firewall" on working with the far-right on policy. Has the "firewall" fallen? Since the end of World War II and the Holocaust, there has been a consensus among Germany's main political parties that the far and extreme right must never be allowed in government again. This so-called firewall has also extended to open collaboration with far-right parties in any capacity. However, the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) breached what has become known as the "AfD firewall" on Wednesday when party leader Friedrich Merz put forward a motion for strict immigration laws, which passed with the support of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). Speaking with public broadcaster ARD, Social Democrat (SPD) Chancellor Olaf Scholz accused Merz of ending a decadeslong consensus in Germany "that there would be no cooperation between democratic parties and the extreme right." The "firewall" has fallen, Scholz said. CDU immigration resolution passes with AfD support Scholz has been leading a minority government with the Greens since November, after the neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP) withdrew from the coalition over a budget spat. The government collapse triggered Germany's snap election, scheduled for February 23. Merz's CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the CSU, have a strong lead in the polling at about 30%. The conservatives have made immigration reform a cornerstone of their campaign, following two deadly knife attacks in Germany where the suspected assailants were rejected asylum-seekers scheduled for deportation. On Wednesday, Merz went ahead and put forward the asylum reform measures in a non-binding motion. The AfD had made it known they would support the measure, and party co-leader Alice Weidel even wrote on social media site X ahead of the vote that her party had coordinated with the CDU. Ahead of the vote, Merz repeatedly stated he did not care who supported his resolution as long as it passed — which it did, with votes from his bloc, the AfD and some members of the FDP. Afterward, the CDU leader said he very much regretted that the AfD had helped him gain the majority. AfD cheers breakthrough after parliament vote on migration