What is the ‘firewall’ against the far-right Alternative for Germany party?
What is the ‘firewall’ against the far-right Alternative for Germany party?
FILE —People hold up their cell phones as they protest the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD party, and right-wing extremism in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)
FILE —People gather to protest against the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD party, and right-wing extremism in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)
FILE —An election poster of the German far right Alternative for Germany party (AfD), right, is attached to a lamppost in front of a giant election poster showing a map of Germany, at the headquarters of the German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Berlin, Germany, Jan. 29, 2025. Slogan reads: ‘Now AfD’. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn, File)
FILE —Co leader of German far right party AfD Alice Weidel,center, attends an AfD election campaign in front of the cathedral in Magdeburg, Germany, Dec. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)
FILE —German opposition leader and Christian Union parties floor leader Friedrich Merz, center, speaks at a debate about migration at the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File)
FILE —German opposition leader and Christian Union parties floor leader Friedrich Merz, center right, talks with a lawmaker of his faction prior to a debate about migration at the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File)
FILE —German opposition leader and Christian Union parties floor leader Friedrich Merz speaks at the the beginning of a debate about migration at the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File)
FILE —German opposition leader and Christian Union parties floor leader Friedrich Merz speaks at a debate about migration at the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
FILE —Leader of right wing AfD Alice Weidel speaks during a plenary session at the German parliament Bundestag where he faces a vote of confidence, Berlin, Germany, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Alternative for Germany, AfD, party leaders Alice Weidel, right, and Tino Chrupalla, center, cast their vote after a debate about migration at the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
FILE —Alice Weigel, center right, co-leader of the Alternative for Germany, AfD, party celebrate with lawmakers after the debate and a voting about migration at the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File)
FILE —People gather to protest against the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD party, and right-wing extremism in Heidenheim, Germany, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)
FILE —Participants in a protest under the slogan “Human chain against the AfD and its anti-human policies” demonstrate in the city center, in Hamburg, Jan. 31, 2025, the day after with the support of the AfD, the Bundestag approved a CDU/CSU motion to reject asylum seekers at Germany’s borders. (Christian Charisius/dpa via AP, File)
FILE —People hold up their cell phones as they protest the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD party, and right-wing extremism in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
FILE —People hold up their cell phones as they protest the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD party, and right-wing extremism in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)
FILE —People hold up their cell phones as they protest the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD party, and right-wing extremism in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)
FILE —People gather to protest against the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD party, and right-wing extremism in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)
FILE —People gather to protest against the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD party, and right-wing extremism in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)
FILE —An election poster of the German far right Alternative for Germany party (AfD), right, is attached to a lamppost in front of a giant election poster showing a map of Germany, at the headquarters of the German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Berlin, Germany, Jan. 29, 2025. Slogan reads: ‘Now AfD’. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn, File)
FILE —An election poster of the German far right Alternative for Germany party (AfD), right, is attached to a lamppost in front of a giant election poster showing a map of Germany, at the headquarters of the German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Berlin, Germany, Jan. 29, 2025. Slogan reads: ‘Now AfD’. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn, File)
FILE —Co leader of German far right party AfD Alice Weidel,center, attends an AfD election campaign in front of the cathedral in Magdeburg, Germany, Dec. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)
FILE —Co leader of German far right party AfD Alice Weidel,center, attends an AfD election campaign in front of the cathedral in Magdeburg, Germany, Dec. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)
FILE —German opposition leader and Christian Union parties floor leader Friedrich Merz, center, speaks at a debate about migration at the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File)
FILE —German opposition leader and Christian Union parties floor leader Friedrich Merz, center, speaks at a debate about migration at the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File)
FILE —German opposition leader and Christian Union parties floor leader Friedrich Merz, center right, talks with a lawmaker of his faction prior to a debate about migration at the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File)
FILE —German opposition leader and Christian Union parties floor leader Friedrich Merz, center right, talks with a lawmaker of his faction prior to a debate about migration at the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File)
FILE —German opposition leader and Christian Union parties floor leader Friedrich Merz speaks at the the beginning of a debate about migration at the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File)
FILE —German opposition leader and Christian Union parties floor leader Friedrich Merz speaks at the the beginning of a debate about migration at the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File)
FILE —German opposition leader and Christian Union parties floor leader Friedrich Merz speaks at a debate about migration at the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
FILE —German opposition leader and Christian Union parties floor leader Friedrich Merz speaks at a debate about migration at the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
FILE —Leader of right wing AfD Alice Weidel speaks during a plenary session at the German parliament Bundestag where he faces a vote of confidence, Berlin, Germany, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
FILE —Leader of right wing AfD Alice Weidel speaks during a plenary session at the German parliament Bundestag where he faces a vote of confidence, Berlin, Germany, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Alternative for Germany, AfD, party leaders Alice Weidel, right, and Tino Chrupalla, center, cast their vote after a debate about migration at the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Alternative for Germany, AfD, party leaders Alice Weidel, right, and Tino Chrupalla, center, cast their vote after a debate about migration at the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
FILE —Alice Weigel, center right, co-leader of the Alternative for Germany, AfD, party celebrate with lawmakers after the debate and a voting about migration at the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File)
FILE —Alice Weigel, center right, co-leader of the Alternative for Germany, AfD, party celebrate with lawmakers after the debate and a voting about migration at the German parliament Bundestag in Berlin, Germany, Jan. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File)
FILE —People gather to protest against the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD party, and right-wing extremism in Heidenheim, Germany, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)
FILE —People gather to protest against the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD party, and right-wing extremism in Heidenheim, Germany, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)
FILE —Participants in a protest under the slogan “Human chain against the AfD and its anti-human policies” demonstrate in the city center, in Hamburg, Jan. 31, 2025, the day after with the support of the AfD, the Bundestag approved a CDU/CSU motion to reject asylum seekers at Germany’s borders. (Christian Charisius/dpa via AP, File)
FILE —Participants in a protest under the slogan “Human chain against the AfD and its anti-human policies” demonstrate in the city center, in Hamburg, Jan. 31, 2025, the day after with the support of the AfD, the Bundestag approved a CDU/CSU motion to reject asylum seekers at Germany’s borders. (Christian Charisius/dpa via AP, File)
FILE —People hold up their cell phones as they protest the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD party, and right-wing extremism in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
FILE —People hold up their cell phones as they protest the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD party, and right-wing extremism in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
BERLIN (AP) — Alternative for Germany, or AfD, has established itself as a significant political force in the 12 years since it was founded, but it hasn’t yet been part of any state or national government. That’s a result of what is often called a “firewall” against the anti-immigrant, far-right party.
Other parties say they won’t work with Alternative for Germany, which is under observation by the domestic intelligence agency for suspected right-wing extremism, something that AfD objects to strongly. Its branches in three eastern states are designated “proven right-wing extremist” groups. That’s particularly sensitive in view of Germany’s Nazi past.
That has sometimes forced other parties into unusual alliances to keep AfD out of power — for instance, a three-party coalition straddling ideological divisions that governs the eastern state of Thuringia after AfD emerged as the strongest party for the first time in a regional election there in September.
Did Merz breach the firewall? Opinions are divided
Germany’s conservative opposition leader, Friedrich Merz, drew accusations of breaking a taboo and damaging the firewall after he brought a nonbinding motion calling for many more migrants to be turned back at the country’s borders to parliament last month. It was narrowly approved thanks to votes from the far-right party. That was a first for post-World War II Germany.
Two days later, lawmakers narrowly rejected an opposition-sponsored bill calling for tougher rules on migration that risked becoming the first draft legislation to pass thanks to AfD. The events in parliament prompted sizeable protests.
Merz insisted that his position was unchanged. He said that he didn’t and won’t work with AfD, won’t go into government with it or form a minority government that needs its support, and didn’t and won’t negotiate with it on motions or legislation.