In brief
Steinbrück proposes replacing the absolute 'firewall' with defined red lines that would allow conditional cooperation if the AfD commits to democratic boundaries.
He rejects a party ban, citing the risk of a backlash and the need to win back voters rather than exclude them.
Calls for using Article 18 of the Basic Law to strip Björn Höcke, head of Thuringia's extremist-classified AfD branch, of his passive electoral rights.
A shift from the firewall
Former SPD finance minister Peer Steinbrück has proposed a new approach toward the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), moving away from an absolute 'firewall' toward a system of conditional red lines. Speaking on the 'Ronzheimer' podcast hosted by Bild deputy editor Paul Ronzheimer, Steinbrück argued that defining clear political boundaries could help "de-radicalise" the party and potentially win back some of its voters.
“As long as you don't reliably commit to those red lines, there will definitely be no cooperation, no toleration.”
Rejecting a ban
Steinbrück firmly rejected calls for a formal ban procedure against the AfD, warning that even a successful case at the Federal Constitutional Court would not make the voters disappear. He stressed that a failed ban attempt could trigger a severe backlash.
“The voters won't disappear just because of that. And I would automatically be excluding and criminalizing the AfD voters, those I could potentially win back.”
Targeting individual figures
Instead of targeting the party as a whole, the former North Rhine-Westphalia state premier advocated using Article 18 of the Basic Law to strip individual AfD officials of their passive electoral rights. He singled out Björn Höcke, the Thuringia AfD leader already classified as a confirmed right-wing extremist by domestic intelligence.
“I believe there is enough material to make clear that Mr. Höcke is a product of a mindset that has nothing to do with the foundations of our constitution.”
Echoing a conservative voice
Steinbrück drew on proposals from historian Andreas Rödder, a former chairman of the CDU's basic values commission. Rödder had previously argued for a "conditional willingness to talk on this side of the firewall," provided the AfD clearly distances itself from extremist positions and figures. Steinbrück endorsed taking that debate further as a way to reshape the party's trajectory.