Bernd Lucke, a co-founder of the AfD, is demanding a fundamental, principled overhaul of his former party. Writing a guest contribution for “Welt am Sonntag,” the economics professor from Hamburg insists that the AfD must issue a foundational resolution unequivocally affirming its commitment to democracy, the rule of law, NATO, the European Union, and the principles of the social market economy.
According to Lucke, the ongoing exclusion of the AfD is unsustainable. He argues that the party is not merely denying its democratic foundations but regularly insinuating an equivalence with the NSDAP, a notion he finds unconscionable, especially given the uniqueness of the Holocaust.
While calling for change, Lucke admits that there are substantive grounds for the AfD’s rejection. These concerns include the party’s human-centric worldview, its stance on NATO, the EU, and Russia, its perception of itself as a potential governing party, and repeated instances of certain officials casting doubt on the party’s loyalty to the constitution.
Therefore, Lucke urges the AfD to adopt a foundational resolution modeled after the SPD’s Godesberg Program. He warns that the current political “firewall” will persist unless the AfD takes an undeniable step to align its political actions with the principles of the constitution. He points out that the SPD accomplished something analogous in its Godesberg Program in 1959. Lucke argues that the party needs to develop a self-image defined as a “state-supporting reform party, not a fundamental opposition.” Such a move, he suggests, could serve as a “litmus test” for both sides, and he believes it would be beneficial for democracy if the current mutual intransigence could be broken down.
