Elon Musk says only the AfD can save Germany. Mr. Musk is right that Germany is facing an existential crisis. But the party that can and must act to save Germany is the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), by working with AfD in a governing coalition.
In Germany’s recent federal election, the CDU emerged as the strongest party at 28.6%, and the Alternative for Germany (AfD) securing a historic second place with 20.8% — doubling their result from 2021. The Social Democrats (SPD) suffered their lowest support in history at 16.4%.
Since the AfD’s inception in 2013, Germany’s mainstream parties have imposed a so-called “firewall” against them. Under the firewall doctrine, the establishment parties refuse to work with the AfD, including by going so far as to pull motions from Parliament if the AfD signals its support.
But with one in five voters choosing the AfD, dismissing them as persona non grata is untenable. Democracy demands that the will of the electorate be respected. The AfD’s 20.8% reflects a significant bloc of Germans—particularly in the east—whose frustrations with the immigration crisis and economic stagnation have been ignored.
As CDU leader Friedrich Merz begins the task of forming a government, the CDU should end the firewall and partner with the AfD. This choice, while controversial among center-left and state-funded journalists, aligns with democratic principles and the overwhelming will of the German electorate. It also offers a pragmatic path to solving Germany’s mass migration crisis—a vote moving issue that dominated this election.
The CDU’s refusal to work with the AfD often stems from a strategic hope: many believe freezing out the AfD will cause its popularity to wane. But this approach has failed spectacularly. At the beginning of his term as CDU leader, Mr. Merz vowed to cut the AfD in half and restore support for the CDU to over 40%. Yet the AfD has doubled its support since the 2021 election, fueled by a series of high-profile attacks carried out by migrants.
Mr. Merz himself campaigned on a 15-point plan to curb migration. But the CDU cannot implement Mr. Merz’s plan if it forms yet another coalition with the SPD.
Mr. Merz is in a strong negotiating position vis-à-vis the AfD: He can demand to govern with the moderate wing of the AfD around Alice Weidel and push the party to oust controversial politicians like Björn Höcke. If the goal is to diminish the AfD’s appeal, the best way is not to shun them, but rather to govern with them, address the mass migration crisis decisively, and show voters that their concerns have been addressed.
Only after the migration crisis has been resolved can the CDU deliver on Mr. Merz’s promise to cut the AfD in half.
A CDU-AfD coalition makes practical sense, too. Their combined vote share offers a stable majority, unlike the razor-thin edge a CDU-SPD coalition would hold. Today, the SPD believes that Mr. Merz has no choice but to partner with them, and their support will come at a hefty price. The AfD will make no similar demands—their leaders have extended their hands to work with the CDU on issues like mass migration for the good of the country. And as Chancellor, Mr. Merz will have the power to set policy for the coalition and tame the far-right voices in the AfD.
Despite the inflammatory language used by many to attack the AfD, its voters are not a monolith of fascists. Many are disaffected conservatives who believe the CDU under Angela Merkel drifted too far left. Governing with the AfD would let Mr. Merz reclaim this base while tempering the far-right through coalition discipline. The alternative—another CDU-SPD pact—risks alienating conservative voters further and handing the AfD a guaranteed win in the next election.
Mr. Merz faces a stark choice: cling to a failing strategy or finally embrace reality. Governing with the AfD is not without risk, but it honors democracy, and it is the best path to neuter actual extremists.
As Vice President J.D. Vance explained in his historic remarks at the Munich Security Conference: “Democracy rests on the sacred principle that the voice of the people matters. There is no room for firewalls. You either uphold the principle or you don’t.”
The AfD, for all its flaws, offers a chance at renewal. The CDU should seize this chance. It could be their last opportunity.
Andreas Hellmann is Director of Outreach, Tax & Regulatory Policy at the Tholos Foundation.