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Alternative for Germany (AfD) has established itself as a significant political force in the 13 years since its founding, but it has never been part of any state or federal government. This is a result of what is often called a ‘firewall’ against cooperation with the anti-immigrant, far-right party. That firewall faces its biggest test after AfD won a landslide victory in Sunday’s election in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt.
Germany's mainstream parties have long said they would not work with AfD, which is classified by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency as an extremist group in some regions, including Saxony-Anhalt. Any dealing by mainstream parties with AfD is particularly sensitive due to Germany’s Nazi past. This taboo has sometimes forced other parties into unusual alliances to keep AfD out of power, such as a three-party coalition in Thuringia since AfD emerged as the strongest party there two years ago.
In Germany’s national election last year, AfD achieved its best showing by a far-right party since World War II and became the strongest political force in parts of the country. AfD became the biggest opposition party in parliament after Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s center-right Christian Democrats upheld the firewall and formed an unpopular coalition with the center-left Social Democrats.
The firewall could crack after AfD's latest victory. AfD won 43.8% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt, more than double its showing five years ago, while Merz's party lost about half its support. Merz has strictly rejected any cooperation with AfD in the past, but other parties in the newly elected state parliament may be less likely to maintain the firewall.
The AfD candidate for governor, Ulrich Siegmund, aims to become the first far-right head of a state government. He has said he will reach out to all other parties and individual lawmakers to assemble a governing majority, though he has rejected an AfD minority government. AfD could potentially govern with the hard-left BSW party, which received 5.3% of the vote. The two parties share a Russia-friendly course and oppose immigration but disagree on other issues.
On Monday, BSW’s lead candidate, Thomas Schulze, expressed willingness to help an AfD governor take office in the state parliament. Forming a government excluding AfD would require cooperation from five parties: CDU, Social Democrats, the Greens, the Left Party, and BSW, which would be extremely unusual and unstable. Alternatively, newly elected lawmakers could defect to AfD, requiring just three votes to form a majority.
Political analyst Volker Resing said AfD may overcome the firewall after its strong showing in Saxony-Anhalt, with BSW potentially serving as the kingmaker. ‘This tiny party could now play a decisive role in determining the future of Saxony-Anhalt,’ Resing told The Associated Press. It remains unclear whether the parties will join forces based on their common view toward Russia to succeed in forming Germany’s first far-right state government since the end of the Nazi era.
Source: The Independent
