Fratzscher Warns Against Breaking Down the Barrier Between His Party and the AfD

Marcel Fratzscher, president of the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), has warned against dismantling the so-called firewall against the AfD. “Tearing down the firewall against the AfD helps no one but the AfD itself, because in the eyes of some, it gives the party additional legitimacy,” Fratzscher told the *Handelsblatt*. 

He thus contradicted Saxony’s Minister President Michael Kretschmer (CDU), who had called for talks with all parties. “Anyone who still talks about firewalls has failed to recognize the signs of the times,” Kretschmer told the “Handelsblatt.”

Fratzscher, on the other hand, sees no benefit in other parties engaging in talks with the AfD. The economist criticized the party’s economic and social policies in particular. “We are witnessing an increasingly pronounced AfD paradox: AfD voters, as well as regions with a high proportion of AfD support, would suffer significantly more under AfD policies than others,” said Fratzscher.