German Chancellor Urges 'Firewall' Around AfD
German Chancellor Urges "'Firewall"' Around AfD After Regional Election Gains
The Facts
On Monday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged all mainstream democratic parties to try to form stable governments in Thuringia and Saxony without the right-wing AfD, to try to keep the party away from any political influence.On Monday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged all mainstream democratic parties to try to form stable governments in Thuringia and Saxony without the right-wing AfD, to try to keep the party away from any political influence in what has been characterized as a "firewall."
This followed Sunday's regional election in Thuringia and Saxony, eastern Germany, where Alternative für Deutchland (AfD) party received 33.5% and 30.5% of the votes respectively.This followed Sunday's regional election in Thuringia and Saxony, eastern Germany, where the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party received 32.8% and 30.6% of the votes respectively.
The Spin
The election results in Thuringia and Saxony are a cause of anxiety for the Social Democrats (SPD) and their coalition allies. However, the AfD must be prevented from gaining any significant political power, as their success is an anomaly. The AfD poses a threat to our countryGermany, undermining the economy and dividing society. It tarnishes our country's reputation. All democratic parties must work together to build stable governments free of right-wing extremism.
The AfD is the people's party for Thuringia and the eastern part of the country. The people have given the AfD a strong mandate to rulegovern. Mr. Scholz is now trying to weaken the democratic participation of a large section of the population. Any attempts to block or freeze out the AfD are manifestly undemocratic and should be ignored. This is a dangerously autocratic move.
FollowingAnti-establishment the AfD's electoral victories in Thuringia and Saxony, Chancellor Olaf Scholz actively sought the support of other parties toare preventchanging the AfDGerman from gaining political powerlandscape. The conservative CDU has stated it would not rule with the extreme right, making it difficult to form a new government in Thuringia. TheIn CDU has made it clear that it will not rule from the far right. But in order to keep the far right out, the CDU will require left-wing parties on the left, Die Linke or Sahra Wagenknecht's BSW, to create a government coalition, which is improbable.
