The Free Democratic Party (FDP) is pushing for a fundamental change in how it engages with the AfD in parliament. According to the newspaper “Die Welt,” a motion presented for the extraordinary digital federal party congress on November 8th proposes that the liberals may agree to AfD requests under specific circumstances and establish joint majorities after prior discussion with the AfD. However, the motion explicitly excludes any possibility of a governing partnership with the AfD.
Joris Stietenroth, the district chairman of the Young Liberals of Lower Saxony and a member of the FDP regional board, is leading the initiative. The 13-page document, titled “Binding Guidelines for the Parliamentary Interaction with the AfD,” states, “Provided that concrete prerequisites are met and clear boundaries are not exceeded, we do not fundamentally preclude reaching an understanding with the AfD on individual issues.” If the FDP fails to form a majority with the CDU/CSU, SPD, or Greens-parties deemed essential for “truly advancing the country”-FDP factions would submit motions and draft laws based on prior agreements about their content with the AfD faction to secure a majority.
The motion does not rule out the joint formal submission of a legislative proposal. Whether the AfD is listed as a “co-mover” or “joint submitter” is considered a mere formality. Nonetheless, this type of majority formation should be an exception, not the rule. Furthermore, the possibility of fact-based coalition building should not depend on how a specific AfD regional branch is classified by the domestic intelligence service. The motion dismisses a general ban on branches registered as securely right-extremist as “inappropriate.” Such a ban, the document argues, would be “empty,” especially in states where complex majority situations arise.
Stietenroth has received support from FDP Secretary General Martin Hagen, who told “Die Welt,” “I find Joris Stietenroth’s approach very convincing.” Hagen noted that this essentially aligns with the stance that party leader Wolfgang Kubicki and he have maintained regarding the AfD for some time. Kubicki shared the intention behind the motion, stating, “I share the intention of the motion to find a more pragmatic way of dealing with the AfD.” He challenged the concept of a “firewall” intended for the complete exclusion of the AfD, noting that presenting it as if it had constitutional status, was decided upon by the Bundestag, and was universally applicable, “is obviously not the case.”
However, Kubicki expressed doubt about whether the motion should be decided upon at the upcoming digital federal party congress. “Nevertheless, I have doubts whether a digital party congress is the right venue to discuss and decide on such a fundamental question,” he said. Currently, it is being examined whether the motion is even permissible for the congress, as the assembly is intended solely to deal with the internal organization of the FDP.
The motion also sets explicit boundaries for interactions with the AfD. Discussions are prohibited concerning fundamental principles such as human dignity, culture of remembrance, the independence of the judiciary and freedom of the press, Germany’s membership in the EU and NATO, support for Ukraine, and Western alignment. The document asserts that these principles form the core of liberal identity and are rooted in the values enshrined in the Basic Law, meaning “they are not subject to negotiation.” Crucially, the motion bans any coalition with the AfD, and the FDP should not participate in offering AfD politicians positions in the government. A minority government, however, that relies on shifting majorities, including the AfD for certain decisions, is considered possible.
Kubicki also campaigned against any process to ban the AfD. “The Free Democrats will certainly not participate in actions to initiate a ban procedure against the AfD under my leadership,” he stated. He characterized such a procedure as “completely hopeless” at present, serving “only to evade substantive political debate.”
