Kretschmer demands willingness to talk with all parties – and triggers debate over how to deal with the AfD

The political debate over how to deal with the AfD has flared up with renewed sharpness. Saxony's Minister-President Michael Kretschmer (CDU) stated in an interview with the Handelsblatt: „Wir müssen mit jedem reden, der reden will. Wer noch über Brandmauern redet, hat die Zeichen der Zeit nicht erkannt." With this, the Saxon head of government is positioning himself against the previous line of his party and the position of the federal chairman.

The comments come at a heightened political moment: In September, state elections are scheduled in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. In both federal states, the AfD leads in polls. The AfD's top candidate in Saxony-Anhalt, Ulrich Siegmund, is coming close to an absolute majority according to polls. In Saxony, Kretschmer already governs with a minority government – similar to his CDU colleague Mario Voigt in Thuringia.

Starting point: State elections in the East

The controversy is set against a fundamental dispute over the stance toward the AfD. The term "firewall" stands for the position of excluding cooperation with the AfD at all political levels. Chancellor and CDU chairman Friedrich Merz had reaffirmed this line at the summer press conference on 15 July 2026: „Wir haben hier klare Parteitagsbeschlüsse, und ich habe keinen Anlass daran zu zweifeln, dass wir die einhalten." A question about what would happen in the event of lacking majorities beyond the AfD and without the Left was left unanswered by Merz.

Kretschmer takes a different position. He stated that negotiation processes are „der Kern der Demokratie". One must relearn to recognize differing opinions and interests as „normal, wertvoll und respektabel". Exclusion, brushing aside, and discrediting of opinions – in refugee policy, during Corona, in the Ukraine war, or in climate policy – are „das Gegenteil von Demokratie". At the same time, he warned: „Eine Partei wie die AfD schadet dem Land. Die AfD setzt darauf, dass die Regierung scheitert."

Firewall: Merz reaffirms exclusion

With a view to the Saxon state parliament, Kretschmer pointed to an established "consultation mechanism" that is open to all parliamentary groups. „Die AfD ist die einzige Fraktion, die von vornherein gesagt hat: Wir beteiligen uns nicht." In this way, he painted the picture of a party that refuses dialogue – while other actors are ready to cooperate. According to Kretschmer's account, this mechanism is intended to serve as a model for how majorities can be organized when none of the classical coalitions is sufficient.

The reactions to Kretschmer's initiative were controversial. Josef Schuster, President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, expressed to the Main-Post in Würzburg his concern that the CDU's firewall against the AfD could crumble: „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 currently sees no majority for an application to ban the AfD and does not expect the AfD to assume federal-level political responsibility in the near future. Nonetheless, he expressed concern about a potentially unsuccessful ban application: „Meine größte Sorge aber bleibt ein Verbotsantrag, der scheitert, so wie bei der NPD."

Kretschmer: Negotiating as the core of democracy

AfD federal chairman Tino Chrupalla had already called on 5 July 2026 in a ZDF interview for more cooperation, „besonders bei Sachthemen im Parlament". The AfD has much „parlamentarisch verweigert, auch von der CDU", he said. Parliament is not a „Bütt" in which one can simply „abhaken" the opposition.

In terms of content, Kretschmer also used the Handelsblatt conversation for economic policy demands. The reform package of the black-red coalition at the federal level is „gut, aber nicht ausreichend". Bureaucracy and levies are crushing tradespeople and the self-employed. „Durch Kürzungen im Sozialbereich bringen wir Deutschland nicht auf Wachstumskurs." A „passive Sanierung führe nicht zu Wachstum". Growth arises from freedom; less regulation is needed. Addressing the federal government, he said: „Die Bundesregierung muss endlich Tempo machen. Ansonsten sehe ich bei der nächsten Bundestagswahl schwarz."

Reactions: Schuster warns of a pact with the devil

With this, Kretschmer linked two lines of argument: the question of how to deal with the AfD and a clear criticism of his own federal government's economic policy. Both strands are closely intertwined in the political discussion, because a central justification for his willingness to talk is the difficulty of organizing majorities in eastern Germany beyond the AfD. In Saxony-Anhalt as well as in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, a scenario is likely according to polls in which no majority can be formed without the Left.

The positions of Merz and Kretschmer illustrate a tension within the CDU: While the federal chairman emphasizes the firewall as a non-negotiable party convention position, the Saxon Minister-President formulates a politically pragmatic counterposition. Both invoke the CDU's programmatic line – but arrive at opposite conclusions about how this can be implemented in the states.

Substantive demands: Less bureaucracy, more speed

In substance, Kretschmer emphasizes that talks do not mean equivalence. „In einer Demokratie müssen Sie immer um Mehrheiten ringen", he said. In this way, he presents a willingness to talk as democratic normality – without speaking out in favor of a coalition with the AfD. Critics, however, accuse him of paving the way for rapprochements by relativizing the firewall. Supporters see his words as a necessary adaptation to the political reality in eastern Germany.

Schuster also linked his warning with a fundamental assessment: He hopes that the parties of the democratic center will manage „das dauerhaft zu verhindern" that the AfD assumes political responsibility. At the same time, he referred to an expert opinion by the Gesellschaft für Freiheitsrechte, which assesses the chances of success of a ban application as fundamentally possible – but he remained skeptical.

Field of tension: CDU-internal directional dispute

The reporting was distributed by the Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa); the piece was broadcast on 22 July 2026 in the program of Deutschlandfunk. At the center is an intra-CDU struggle over the question of how the party wants to respond to the AfD's growing strength in the East – and whether the previous strategy of exclusion can continue to hold.

What can be stated: The question of cooperation with the AfD is no longer merely a theoretical one, but a very practical one. It may be decided in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania – that is, precisely where the current majority situation no longer permits a simple coalition. Kretschmer provides, with his Handelsblatt interview, the justification for why he considers a different path necessary. Merz provides the justification for why this path collides with the CDU's programmatic line.

The debate is thus not over. On the contrary: Ahead of the state elections in September, both positions will continue to clash. The federal leadership points to party conventions, Kretschmer to the reality of a minority government and to the necessity, in a democracy, of organizing majorities. Which position prevails within the CDU will also depend on how voters in the East decide in September.