Overview

• Jens Spahn of the CDU advocates treating the AfD like other opposition parties in parliamentary procedures, including committee leadership roles.
• SPD leaders strongly oppose the proposal, warning it risks normalizing extremist elements and undermining democratic institutions.
• The AfD, now the second-largest party in the Bundestag, seeks multiple committee chair positions, including in sensitive areas like finance and security.
• Critics within the CDU, such as Roderich Kiesewetter, caution against granting the AfD access to security-sensitive committees, citing risks to national integrity.
• The debate intensifies as coalition negotiations continue, with the SPD membership vote on the coalition agreement potentially influencing future parliamentary dynamics.