German politicians reacted with shock on Friday after opposition leader Friedrich Merz opened the door to cooperation with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) on migration reform after an Afghan man was held in connection with a deadly knife attack. German mainstream parties have previously gone to great lengths to avoid passing legislation while relying on votes from the far-right party, a stance known as the "firewall." However, Merz said in Berlin that his conservative parliamentary g
Because the far right party exists since 2016 and each try to get too close to them resulted in failure.
So, it’s shocking to see someone try it again.
Most prominent case of the past: The Kemmerich government in Thüringen who accepted votes from that party. Kemmerich had to resign a few days later.