Formen und Risiken politischer Brandmauern
Alexander Dilger
December 2025

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Abstract

Forms and Risks of Political Firewalls

A political firewall refers to the systematic exclusion of one or more parties behind it by the other (relevant) parties. It can consist of a ban on coalitions. Currently, the other parties prohibit themselves from forming an approval majority that would only be possible with votes from the excluded AfD. A more consistent approach would be a symmetrical ban on a rejection majority also only with votes from an excluded party, whereby a relative majority on this side of the firewall would suffice instead of a (super)grand coalition. A firewall is intended to keep the excluded party out of power and, above all, out of government, but it can also steer voters towards this party until it can govern alone. If it is unconstitutional, this is particularly dangerous, and a party ban would be preferable. If it is not unconstitutional, a ban will fail, but the firewall is also not truly justified. Therefore, excluding individuals hostile to the constitution from all parties is preferable to excluding entire parties.