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.
