The influential North Rhine-Westphalia Association of Business and Industry (Unternehmer.NRW) is drawing a firm line against engaging with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) at its events, diverging from the stance of the Association of Family Businesses. Johannes Pöttering, the association’s CEO, told the “Rheinische Post” that Unternehmer.NRW maintains a policy of excluding parties situated on the extremes of the political spectrum.
This decision highlights a growing debate within German business circles regarding the normalization of extremist political positions. While some organizations may be willing to engage, Unternehmer.NRW argues that a productive and constructive working relationship with the AfD is fundamentally impossible. The same exclusion applies to the Left party.
Pöttering’s statement directly cited the AfD’s perceived threat to democratic principles as the core reason for the decision. He specifically pointed to the party’s ideologies as being “democracy-endangering” and as contradicting core values of freedom, diversity, the rule of law and a social market economy. Furthermore, he emphasized the potential economic repercussions of the AfD’s frequent calls for an EU exit, warning that such a move would “massively jeopardize the economic future viability and therefore prosperity and jobs in our country.
The differing approaches between Unternehmer.NRW and the Association of Family Businesses reflect broader tensions within the German business landscape – a struggle between maintaining a perceived neutrality and addressing the increasingly brazen challenge posed by parties whose agendas directly clash with established economic and social frameworks. The decision by Unternehmer.NRW is likely to fuel further discussion regarding the responsibilities of business organizations in safeguarding democratic values and economic stability.