Study Reveals 19% Cooperation with Far-Right AfD in German Municipal Politics

Research highlights the erosion of a political 'firewall' as all major parties show instances of collaboration with the AfD between 2019 and 2024.

The study, conducted by Harvard professor Daniel Ziblatt and commissioned by the Berlin Social Science Center, analyzed over 11,000 municipal and district council meetings from 2019 to 2024.
Findings show that representatives from established parties cooperated with the far-right AfD in 19% of cases, challenging the commitment to avoid collaboration.
Fringe parties and independents, such as the Free Voters, had the highest cooperation rates at 86.5%, while the FDP and CDU cooperated in approximately 38% of cases.
No significant differences were found between East and West Germany overall, but rural areas in East Germany exhibited higher cooperation rates than urban areas.
The study warns that such cooperation risks normalizing and legitimizing radical right-wing forces, potentially enabling their consolidation of power within democratic structures.