Manfred Güllner, the head of the opinion research institute Forsa, has warned the Union about a new approach to the AfD after their classification as certainly right-wing extremist. “Any further opening to the right would accelerate the decline of the CDU and help the AfD win the next Bundestag election” said Güllner to the “Handelsblatt”. He sharply criticized the considerations of the designated Union faction leader Jens Spahn (CDU) to treat the AfD like other opposition parties. “Given the concerns of the people, Spahn’s statements on how to deal with the AfD were completely unnecessary and inappropriate” said Güllner. They were understood by many as “sycophancy and opening up to the AfD” and clearly benefited the AfD and damaged the Union. “It is now very important that those who dream of normalizing the AfD let go of it” said Güllner. It must be about drawing a “very hard” line from the AfD.
In this matter, all democratic parties must stand together, said Güllner. “A new dispute would only help the right-wing extremists” he warned. This also applies to a possible AfD ban, added the Forsa head. A ban should be “in every case seriously examined”. “At the same time, one should also be aware of the risks” said Güllner. “If such a proposal fails, it would give the AfD an additional increase in votes.” Güllner sees the AfD with considerable voter potential. “For twelve percent of eligible voters who currently do not vote for the AfD, a vote in the event of a growing estrangement of politics from the citizens would be conceivable” he said.