Former Chancellor Olaf Scholz, of the SPD, has publicly opposed both the possibility of the black-red coalition ending prematurely and the suggestion of abandoning the political “firewall” concerning the AfD. In a contribution to “Die Zeit”, Scholz argued that all discussions regarding a minority government led by the CDU and CSU must cease immediately out of responsibility to Germany. He characterized the very notion of a minority cabinet as “historically forgettable”.
Scholz drew parallels to Germany’s recent political past. He pointed out that in 2005, the SPD and the Greens should not have attempted to form a government with the Linkspartei (Left Party), even when mathematical majority favored it. He explained that collaborating with this party, particularly concerning foreign and defense policy as well as internal security, would be akin to “trying to make a state where one cannot be made”. Similarly, after the failure of the previous black-yellow coalition and the FDP’s departure, the opportunity to form a caretaker government in 2013 that bypassed the CDU/CSU also arose, but Scholz noted that even then, attempting to establish a government with the Left was “not properly attempted”.
He argued that the situation today mirrors these historical precedents, extending the caution to the AfD. According to Scholz, attempting to formulate a government with the AfD would be impossible, especially given the differences in foreign, defense, and internal security policies. More significantly, he stressed that the AfD is inherently anti-pluralistic and, for these reasons, must be kept isolated from political power.
Scholz analyzed the rhetoric used by the AfD, particularly when the party speaks of “the people” or “the will of the people”. He stated that it is immediately apparent that the party does not refer to the entire citizenry. He added that this pattern is consistent with how such political groups operate worldwide and throughout history: “They identify enemies both within and outside. They delegitimize democratic institutions”. For these reasons, the firewall remains, in his view, “more than justified”. Furthermore, he concluded by suggesting that a coalition could potentially emerge from a minority government supported by a far-right party.
