Germany's AfD exclusion debate fuels protests and poll shifts

A recent Insa poll shows 36 % of German voters favor ending the “brandwall” that excludes the AfD from cooperation, while 45 % oppose a formal party ban. Support for keeping the exclusion is strongest among Green (56 %), Left (53 %) and SPD (51 %) voters, whereas 67 % of AfD supporters reject the brandwall. Among Union voters 37 % back ending it, compared with 34 % who want it maintained; FDP and BSW voters also lean toward abolition.

Street actions have mirrored the polling debate. About 270 people took part in an AfD‑run demonstration in Bitterfeld under the slogan “Save Democracy!”, while counter‑protests organized by anti‑AfD networks attracted participants in Trier ahead of the party’s Erfurt congress. Authorities have labeled the regional AfD branch as a “secured right‑wing extremist endeavour”.

The AfD’s own parliamentary “Democracy Congress” promoted a proposal for a peace congress on Ukraine, framing it as a chance to break the media “brandwall”. The party argues that ending the exclusion would allow it to shape policy, while opponents warn that political violence on the streets threatens democratic norms.