The remarks made by the Saxon Prime Minister, Michael Kretschmer (CDU), regarding how to deal with the AfD have drawn sharp criticism from within his own party and from the SPD.
According to reporting by the Handelsblatt, Dennis Radtke, the chair of the CDU workers’ wing, and Thuringian Interior Minister Georg Maier (SPD) rejected Kretschmer’s approach. Radtke stated that endless intellectual and rhetorical efforts to maintain a “firewall” would be ineffective and would not win any voters. While he categorically ruled out any cooperation with the AfD, Radtke suggested moving beyond the continuous “firewall” debate and instead advocating for an AfD ban procedure. He argued that a decision regarding the referral to the Federal Constitutional Court was necessary.
Kretschmer had advocated for conversations with all parties, citing the political majority distribution in East Germany. However, Thuringian Interior Minister Maier expressed significant skepticism about this stance. Maier told the Handelsblatt that he was surprised that an experienced politician like Kretschmer still believed it was possible to find a common ground with a völkisch-nationalist movement. He attributed the Saxon government leader’s current position solely to inner-party pressures within the right-leaning CDU.
The AfD, meanwhile, described Maier as representing a party defined by “hatred of the elites and desires for revenge” that does not adhere to democratic rules. They maintain that the party spreads “lies and conspiracy myths,” incites fear, and offers allegedly simple but impractical solutions. Furthermore, the AfD questioned how one could genuinely have serious discussions with a party that disdains liberal society, maintains close ties with authoritarian states, and is structurally linked to a far-right milieu.
