Kretschmer advocates willingness to talk with all parties and pushes back against the firewall debate

Kretschmer, who is deputy chairman of the federal CDU, has governed Saxony for years with a minority government. In the Dresden state parliament he has established a "consultation mechanism" open to all parliamentary groups. As he said, the AfD is the only group that declared from the outset that it would not take part: "Die AfD ist die einzige Fraktion, die von vornherein gesagt hat: Wir beteiligen uns nicht."

With his initiative, Kretschmer is going against the line of the federal party chairman and Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The previous week, at his summer press conference, Merz had reaffirmed that the CDU would not cooperate with the AfD and Die Linke, and pointed to corresponding party congress resolutions. Kretschmer replied: "Wir haben hier klare Parteitagsbeschlüsse, und ich habe keinen Anlass, daran zu zweifeln, dass wir die einhalten."

Conflict with Chancellor Merz's line

At the same time, the Saxon head of government warned against a hardening of political culture. Excluding, brushing off, discrediting opinions, as seen during the refugee crisis, during Covid, and now over the Ukraine war and climate policy, was the opposite of what was needed. It was necessary to relearn that differing opinions and interests were something normal and valuable - "und vor allen Dingen als etwas, was wir respektieren".

Kretschmer pointed to the day-to-day business of parliament: "In einer Demokratie müssen Sie immer um Mehrheiten ringen," he said. Negotiation processes were the core of our democracy. The CDU must be ready to talk with all other parties, the CDU politician continued. On ZDF he also said that much was "parlamentarisch verweigert" to the AfD, "auch von der CDU".

The term "firewall" stands for democratic parties' positioning of not cooperating with the AfD. Kretschmer indirectly argued for a more open stance, without calling for a coalition with the AfD. The Central Council of Jews meanwhile warned of a "Pakt mit dem Teufel" should cooperation with the AfD come about.

Eastern state elections as backdrop

The backdrop to the debate is the upcoming state elections in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in September. According to current polls, the AfD leads in both states. A scenario in which the AfD becomes the strongest force is considered likely, according to reports. CDU state chief Mario Voigt will compete against the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt; in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania the northeast is heading, according to reports, toward a head-to-head contest between the SPD and the AfD.

Saxony-Anhalt's Minister-President Sven Schulze said ahead of the election on "Lanz": "Ansonsten sehe ich bei der nächsten Bundestagswahl schwarz." Three months before the 2026 state election, the AfD is putting the CDU under pressure in Saxony-Anhalt. Observers see a similar dynamic in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

Parallel to the firewall debate, a possible AfD ban application is being discussed. According to reports, there is an expert opinion by the Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte that concludes a ban application could in fact succeed. CSU politician Schuster told the "Main-Post" in Würzburg: "Meine Befürchtung ist, dass es in der CDU möglicherweise Abgeordnete geben wird, die um des Regierens willen bereit sein könnten, einen Pakt mit dem Teufel einzugehen." Schuster added: "Ich habe die Sorge, dass sie nicht halten wird," referring to the party congress resolutions. He hoped the parties of the democratic center would succeed in preventing that permanently. He remained skeptical about an AfD ban application.

Debate over an AfD ban application

Kretschmer did not take a definitive position on a ban procedure, but stressed his concern about a failure: "Meine größte Sorge aber bleibt ein Verbotsantrag, der scheitert, so wie bei der NPD." At present he saw no majority for a party ban.

Alongside the domestic policy debate, Kretschmer also addressed the economic situation. He called on the federal government to do more to counter the economic crisis. In his assessment, the black-red reform package was not enough. "Die Bundesregierung muss endlich Tempo machen," he said. A "passive Sanierung" would not deliver growth. "Durch Kürzungen im Sozialbereich bringen wir Deutschland nicht auf Wachstumskurs," Kretschmer warned. Currently spending was being adjusted to revenue. "Handwerker und Selbstständige sind unglaublich frustriert, weil Bürokratie und Abgaben sie erdrücken," he said.

Economic policy as a second theme

Kretschmer had also announced that he did not consider the black-red reform package at the federal level to be sufficient. Saxony's economic situation is closely tied to developments across Germany. Saxony needs investment, less bureaucracy, and reliable framework conditions, the state chancellery said.

AfD leader Chrupalla for his part is calling for more cooperation with his party, especially "bei inhaltlichen Fragen im Parlament". He criticized that much was "parlamentarisch verweigert" to his parliamentary group. The CDU leadership around Merz, by contrast, is sticking to the line of not cooperating with the AfD - a conflict given new explosiveness by Kretschmer's remarks.

Reactions from the federal CDU were muted. While some politicians welcomed Kretschmer's willingness to engage in dialogue, others pointed to the existing party congress resolutions. The coming weeks until the eastern state elections will show whether Kretschmer's initiative reshapes the firewall debate or whether the party line holds.

Minority government as a model

In Saxony itself, Kretschmer continues to govern with a minority government and depends on parliamentary majorities. He does not see the minority government model as a burden. It forces all sides to talk - exactly what he is now also demanding at the federal level. Kretschmer stressed that the CDU must learn to re-engage in political competition for majorities, rather than relying on exclusion.

Observers see the remarks as a signal to his own party, against the backdrop of the poll numbers in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, not to jeopardize the ability to act through rigid demarcation. The Union's senior figures have repeatedly spoken out in recent years against any form of cooperation with the AfD. Kretschmer takes a more pragmatic line, without putting a coalition with the AfD on the table.

The debate over the future of the firewall is likely to occupy the federal CDU in the coming weeks. Saxony's CDU chief Mario Voigt has so far stayed quiet and points to the existing party congress resolutions. In Saxony-Anhalt, where the CDU trails the AfD in polls, the discussion is particularly explosive. The state election in September will be an initial litmus test for the new line.