For decades, Germany prided itself on being the European exception – the country where the far right had no place in mainstream politics. While far-right parties gained power across the continent – Meloni leading Italy, Sweden’s hard-right bloc shaping government policy, Le Pen inching closer to the French presidency – Germany held firm. Its history made cooperation with the far right politically unthinkable.
But political taboos may not last forever. The far-right AfD is now Germany’s second-most popular party. Mainstream conservatives, once staunchly opposed to working with them, are shifting. The CDU just passed an anti-immigration motion with AfD support, and pressure is mounting to reconsider long-held red lines.
Supporters say this is just democracy at work. Critics warn that once the door opens to the far right, it never closes. Will Germany stick to its principles – or follow the rest of Europe into a new political reality?
#germany #elections #afd #deutschland
But political taboos may not last forever. The far-right AfD is now Germany’s second-most popular party. Mainstream conservatives, once staunchly opposed to working with them, are shifting. The CDU just passed an anti-immigration motion with AfD support, and pressure is mounting to reconsider long-held red lines.
Supporters say this is just democracy at work. Critics warn that once the door opens to the far right, it never closes. Will Germany stick to its principles – or follow the rest of Europe into a new political reality?
#germany #elections #afd #deutschland
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00For decades German politics had a rule. Never work with the far right. No deals, no coalitions,
00:05no compromises. This policy of political isolation, dubbed Germany's firewall,
00:10was meant to keep extremist parties out of power. But as Germany heads into the 2025 federal
00:17election on February 23rd, it might be about to crumble. The far right AFD is now polling
00:24as Germany's second largest party. Once dismissed as unelectable, they've gained ground on issues
00:29like immigration and the economy. The main conservative party, CDU, recently passed an
00:35anti-immigration motion with AFD support. Former Chancellor Angela Merkel called it a dangerous
00:40mistake. For years the CDU vowed never to work with the AFD, but with more and more voters
00:46demanding tougher immigration policies, some conservatives say the firewall no longer makes
00:51sense, and that shutting out millions of AFD voters is undemocratic. It's not a debate limited
00:58to Germany. Across Europe, surging far-right parties are entering governments. Germany has
01:04long been an exception, but if the firewall breaks here, February 23rd could be a tipping
01:10point in European politics. Will Germany hold the line or open the door to a new political reality?