Overview
- Manfred Weber, CSU vice chair and leader of the EPP group in the European Parliament, publicly said the Union should abandon the 'Brandmauer' policy of absolute non‑cooperation with the AfD and called that approach a "Riesenbelastung" for the party.
- Weber argued the firewall often forces the CDU to vote against its own policy preferences when the AfD brings similar proposals to state parliaments, and he said the tactic cannot replace concrete policy work.
- His call reverses an earlier March position in which he defended the firewall and follows a string of CDU defeats in September state elections that have intensified internal pressure to change tactics.
- Weber cited examples beyond Germany, including recent EPP votes with right‑leaning MEPs on tougher asylum measures and his view that France shows such a firewall can fail, to justify a strategic rethink.
- The statement has opened a debate inside the CDU/CSU ahead of leadership meetings and in national media, but party leaders have not adopted any formal policy change and practical or reputational consequences remain undecided.