Origin of the Term
The phrase "political firewall" is not a fixed concept but a political metaphor first coined by Friedrich Merz in a Der Spiegel interview in December 2021: "Under my leadership there will be a firewall against the AfD." The term has since become embedded in German politics, especially within the CDU, which adopted a "resolution of incompatibility" in 2018 that excluded coalitions with the AfD and the Left.
Practical Breaches
In January 2025 the CDU faced criticism when a Bundestag resolution to reject asylum seekers was passed with AfD support. Merz, then CDU leader and Bundestag president, was accused of violating the firewall policy. Despite this isolated breach, the CDU remains firm at the federal level: Thorsten Frei, chair of the conservative caucus, stressed that the incompatibility resolution "cannot be interpreted differently from one federal state to another."
Municipal Permeability
The firewall is often permeable at the municipal level. In 2020 Thomas Kemmerich was elected Minister-President of Thuringia with AfD support. Angela Merkel demanded a reversal of the election, leading to Kemmerich’s resignation. Locally, politicians from various parties frequently cooperate with the AfD, for example on daycare approvals, which critics view as normalizing the AfD’s presence.
Political Debate
Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) criticizes the firewall as "undemocratic" because it excludes "about 40 % of voters." Michael Kretschmer, Minister-President of Saxony, emphasized in Handelsblatt that the firewall discussion "misses the signs of the times." The CDU Brandenburg business-interest group submitted a motion to revise or repeal the incompatibility resolution, but withdrew it after criticism from the federal leadership.
Outlook
The CDU intends to keep the firewall as a principle, even as the political landscape in eastern Germany remains complex. The question of how to form governing majorities without AfD cooperation remains open. The firewall debate reflects the tension between democratic inclusion and protection against extremist influence.
