East German Business Associations Largely Reject Engagement with the AfD
A survey conducted by the Handelsblatt reveals a widespread reluctance among leading regional business associations in eastern Germany to engage in political dialogue with the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). The findings underscore a clear distance maintained between the business community and the increasingly influential right-wing populist party.
Across several key eastern states, the survey indicates a near-universal absence of contact or discussions with AfD functionaries or elected representatives. While outright collaboration remains minimal, a subtle divergence emerges in Sachsen-Anhalt. Marco Langhof, President of the Employers’ and Business Associations of Saxony-Anhalt (AWSA), cautiously leaves the door open for potential dialogue, albeit under strict conditions. Langhof stated his organization remains “available for constructive conversations with all societal groups” emphasizing the need to clearly articulate their economic policy positions grounded in the principles of the liberal democratic order. He specifies the priority remains securing “optimal conditions and frameworks for businesses” within the state.
However, this cautious openness is largely an exception. Hartmut Koch, President of the Association of Business in Thuringia (VWT), forcefully criticizes the AfD, asserting that the party demonstrates “primarily deficits” and offers no viable solutions. Koch contends that the AfD has failed to present “sound economic policy proposals” either in Thuringia or at the federal level, leaving fundamental questions regarding their potential economic policy direction unanswered. He confirms the association has not initiated contact with the party.
The assessment is echoed by the Association of Business in Berlin and Brandenburg (UVB), which adopts an unequivocal distancing. Spokesperson Carsten Brönstrup argues that the association engages only with politicians demonstrating a clear commitment to advancing the state’s economic and societal progress, a quality he believes is absent within the AfD. Brönstrup sharply characterized the party’s program as “dangerous for the interests of our companies” highlighting concerns centered on their increasingly assertive and disruptive Europolitical demands. Furthermore, he voiced concerns about the party’s underlying “troubling view of humanity” effectively ruling out any current form of collaboration.
The widespread reluctance to engage suggests a fundamental ideological divergence and concerns regarding the AfD’s broader political agenda, signaling an intent to preserve distance from a party increasingly viewed as detrimental to established economic and social frameworks.