Friedrich Merz on Alternative for Germany (AfD)

Friedrich Merz, leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has taken a firm and vocal stance against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. He has repeatedly vowed not to allow the party to “ruin” Germany and has emphatically ruled out any form of cooperation with the AfD at either the state or federal level, asserting that his party is “worlds apart from that party” and has “absolutely nothing in common with them.” This hard line, often referred to as the Brandmauer or “firewall,” is intended to keep the increasingly popular party completely excluded from government.

The commitment to this firewall remains central to his current strategy, despite internal debate within the CDU, particularly in eastern German states, about the implications of such rigidity. The commitment is seen as necessary due to the AfD’s increasingly far-right agenda, which has led several state security agencies to deem the party extremist. He has also urged the junior coalition partner to increase efforts to halt the political rise of the AfD, recognizing its growing threat in upcoming state elections where it polls strongly in eastern regions.