Germany’s establishment has a plan to contain the far right. Sort of.

Key Points:

• Ulrich Siegmund of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is poised for a historic victory in Saxony-Anhalt, potentially becoming the first AfD premier and breaking the political isolation the party has faced since 2013.
• Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other major parties view the AfD as a threat to Germany’s liberal postwar order, raising concerns about cooperation and intelligence sharing if the AfD governs a state.
• German officials are considering strategies to limit AfD’s access to sensitive information, including holding separate meetings excluding AfD representatives and erecting "Chinese walls" to block intelligence related to right-wing extremism and espionage.
• Financial measures like reducing fiscal equalization payments to Saxony-Anhalt are discussed but face constitutional hurdles, as the system is based on solidarity and rule of law commitments.
• The federal government could invoke "Bundeszwang," a constitutional coercion mechanism to compel state compliance with federal law, though it has never been used and is considered a last resort.