In an interview with the “Augsburger Allgemeine” daily newspaper, Bavarian Minister President Markus Soeder (Christian Social Union) proposed an extension of the party’s “firewall” against the AfD party through a new “extremism clause.” The new clause would allow cutting off funding to Saxony-Anhalt from the inter-state financial equalization system. “We are in talks with Hesse and Baden-Württemberg about an extremism clause for the inter-state financial equalization system,” the CSU chairman told the daily, adding that Berlin should be cut off as well.

“This would mean that states governed by extremist parties would not receive support from donor states,” Soeder said. “Saxony-Anhalt and Berlin would be affected if the formation of governments there proceeds as expected.” Saxony-Anhalt is expected to get an AfD-led state government in December, and Berlin to get a Die Linke-led one not much later. Die Linke apparently is being labeled “extremist” now as well.