Former Volkswagen CEO Matthias Müller criticized the established parties’ strategy toward the AfD and suggested opening the so‑called “firewall”. “They should open the firewall a bit” Müller told the news portal T‑Online when asked about the other parties in the Bundestag. He said that it could expose the party’s inability and that the current strategy merely allows the AfD to “develop pleasantly further” citing that the AfD will continue to thrive under the status quo.
Müller sees Germany as being on a problematic political and social path. “We’re on the road to a full‑coverage state” the former top manager warned. Many citizens hide behind state protection and take less personal responsibility. “We’re an egoist nation” he added, reiterating his earlier warning that “we’re on the road to a DDR 2.0”. Without comprehensive reforms, he claims, Germany risks falling further behind economically, and that the politicians are overwhelmed by the tasks.
He also criticized the handling of non‑governmental organisations. According to Müller, the state has outsourced governmental duties to NGOs in recent years that, in his view, should be carried out directly by the state. He suggested that organisations such as German Environmental Aid or BUND could be integrated directly into the environment or economy ministries.
