Overview
- On Sunday May 24 former Schleswig‑Holstein premier Torsten Albig urged the SPD not to categorically rule out cooperation with the AfD and to accept AfD‑tolerated minority governments in some cases.
- Leading SPD figures, including former chancellor Olaf Scholz and parliamentary leader Jochen Ott, publicly rejected Albig's proposal and called for maintaining a strict 'Brandmauer' against the AfD.
- Bavarian CSU leader Markus Söder said containing the AfD has proven harder than expected but ruled out CDU/CSU cooperation with the party, blaming economic anxiety and fears of social decline for AfD gains.
- Polling reported by ZDF‑Politbarometer shows the AfD well ahead of the SPD, a dynamic that commentators say is driving calls to rethink tactics even as many warn that tolerated cooperation would normalize and strengthen the AfD without forcing moderation.
- Critics have pointed to Albig's current role as Philip Morris Deutschland lobbyist while BILD reader polls show some public appetite for pragmatic cooperation, and analysts warn that upcoming regional votes could make tolerated majorities a real governance dilemma.