Saxony’s Minister President, Michael Kretschmer of the CDU, has reinforced his refusal to cooperate with the AfD in the ongoing debate surrounding the “Brandmauer” concept. Speaking to Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland, the CDU politician stated plainly that a coalition or any form of collaboration with the AfD, which he considers a firmly far-right party, is impossible.
However, he clarified that while maintaining distance from the party, he does not view the “Brandmauer” metaphor as an appropriate way to handle the situation with the AfD. Kretschmer acknowledged that AfD deputies possess parliamentary rights; they serve as committee chairs in the Saxon State Parliament and are allowed to submit motions. He stressed that discussions and engagements with them occur daily.
He described the term “Brandmauer” merely as a “technical concept.” His analogy posits that even if no one intervenes to put out a fire, the building will eventually burn down regardless. If one is committed to sticking to that term, he explains, it means the focus must be on combating the fire and its origins. This is critical because there is an actor-the AfD-that is continually gaining popular support, which is extremely dangerous due to its far-right ideology and divisive nature.
Furthermore, Kretschmer suggested that the west could benefit from learning lessons from the east, asserting that “one does not have to reinvent every experience oneself.” He added that any “Brandmauer” has a limited shelf life. “After a certain period in the fire, it burns away too,” he observed. He concluded that the AfD uses the term “Brandmauer” more for its own benefit than for any actual harm.
