Over the past week, the dominant pattern throughout Germany is hysteria about the election victory of the AfD party in Saxony-Anhalt. Calls abound for a ban on the party, absurdly calling for neither to talk to nor meet with AfD members. But even though some want to adhere to the Merz “firewall” policy against the AfD, others are beginning to call that into question.

In an interview on the “Bericht aus Berlin” program of German national television ARD last night, Clara von Nathusius, Treasurer of the Young Christian Democrats (JU), said, “I believe we can’t win any more elections with this chancellor [Merz].” In her view, Merz’s “firewall” against the AfD is a “failed project,” adding that the CDU, the party with the biggest losses in Saxony-Anhalt, should accept the invitation by the AfD instead of boycotting it. “I think that if we’re invited, we should talk to everyone first,” she said. Then, one would find out whether these exploratory talks would offer options to accept an AfD-led government.