What is the “firewall” against the Alternative Extreme Right party for Germany?

Berlin (AP) – Alternative for Germany, or AFD, has established itself as a significant political force in the 12 years since its foundation, but has not yet been part of any state or national government. This is the result of what is often called as a “firewall” against the ultra -right and anti -immigration party.

Other parties claim that they will not work with an alternative for Germany, which is under the surveillance of the National Intelligence Agency for right -wing extremism suspicions, something that AFD rejects flat. Its subsidiaries in three eastern states are designated as “proven extreme right” groups. This is particularly delicate given the Nazi past of Germany.

This has sometimes forced other parties to form unusual alliances to keep AFD out of power, as a coalition of three games that crosses ideological divisions and governing the eastern state of Turingia, after the AFD was the most voted group for the first time in the regional elections of September.

Did Merz breach the firewall?

There is division of opinions. The leader of the conservative opposition of Germany, Friedrich Merz, was accused of breaking a taboo and eroding the firewall after presenting before the Parliament a non -binding motion that asked to return to many more migrants on the borders of the country last month. The initiative was approved by a narrow margin thanks to the votes of the extreme right party. It was something unprecedented in postwar Germany.

Two days later, legislators rejected by a narrow margin a bill sponsored by the opposition that requested more strict rules for immigration, which ran the risk of becoming the first legislation approved thanks to the AFD. The events in Parliament caused considerable protests.

Merz insisted that his position had not changed. He said that he did not work or work with the AFD, who will not enter the government with it or form a minority government that needs its support, and that it does not negotiate or negotiate with it on motions or legislation.

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This story was translated from English by an AP editor with the help of a generative artificial intelligence tool.