Kretschmer: “Right now, the fire wall is burning through everywhere”

In the fight against the AfD, Minister President Michael Kretschmer warns against relying too heavily on exclusion. “Right now, the firewalls are breaking through everywhere,” the CDU politician told *Der Spiegel*. Kretschmer drew a comparison to fire safety: “Firewalls are there to prevent a fire from spreading to other parts of a building.” They merely delay the spread, but do not solve the problem.

In Kretschmer’s view, the AfD’s success is also the result of poor policies. “Only if we change that in time will the fire wall have fulfilled its function.” If not, it will burn through. There are now places where the AfD is winning elections and is no longer dependent on other parties.

“They can never be partners for us”

“We must ensure that the AfD never comes to power or assumes responsibility,” Kretschmer warned. He vehemently ruled out any cooperation between the CDU and the AfD. Everyone in his party knows that “this group” is becoming increasingly radicalized. “Right-wing extremists like Björn Höcke are calling the shots there. They can never be partners for us,” said the Minister President.

More Participatory Decision-Making to Combat a Sense of Powerlessness

To curb the AfD’s success, he advocated for greater citizen participation in decision-making. Many people vote for the AfD because they feel they have no influence over the issues around them, such as the expansion of wind power or the ever-increasing number of EU regulations. “If the AfD is to lose its influence, we must give people the feeling that they are not powerless.” Simply marginalizing the party achieves nothing.