The secret services have been investigating the AfD for its ultra-right activities. That bill could also have passed thanks to AfD support, but did not. On Thursday evening, police reported that about 6, demonstrators gathered in front of the Berlin headquarters of the CDU, while organizers claimed there were 13, participants.
They called on the party and its leader, Friedrich Merz, not to collaborate with the far right. The CDU had feared the protest, which was ultimately peaceful. Security officials warned the party that it would not be able to guarantee a safe departure from the building for its staff. More protests with several thousand participants each took place in Dresden, Freiburg, Hannover and Leipzig. The leader of the German opposition who may become the next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, is facing criticism not just from many politicians, but also from Holocaust survivors.
While the resolution adopted on Wednesday is legally non-binding, on Friday lawmakers were to assess a bill, i. AfD support could have made the difference to the bill passing, but ultimately did not. She noted that such a move could destroy the firewall, as German parties call the principle of not collaborating with right-wing radicals and blocking them. Commentators warned that pushing through a bill solely with AfD support would be a watershed moment in the approach to politics.
Although Merz has a priori ruled out a governing coalition with the AfD, the rise of that party is sparking concerns. Umlauf warned that what happens in the Bundestag this week will be historic. The Mannheim-based photographer Luigi Toscano said he had agreed to return his own Medal of Merit together with Weinberg.
The German President is the official who bestows such honors. The commentaries speak of the breaking of a taboo. Bundestag lawmakers held an acrimonious debate on Thursday over whether to seek to ban the AfD. The Constitutional Court decides whether to ban political parties and has made such a decision twice before.
