The influential German family-owned businesses association, “Die Familienunternehmer” is facing a growing exodus of members following a controversial shift in its policy towards the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD). Fritz-Kola, a popular beverage manufacturer, has confirmed its departure, citing a fundamental incompatibility between the association’s new stance and its own corporate values.
The move follows similar departures by Rossmann and Vorwerk, signaling a deepening rift within the organization and sparking widespread political condemnation. Thuringian Interior Minister Georg Maier (SPD) sharply criticized the association’s leadership, arguing that the embrace of the AfD normalizes a political agenda fundamentally at odds with the values of the German Mittelstand – the country’s backbone of small and medium-sized businesses. He questioned the rationale behind cultivating relationships with a party whose policies stand in direct contradiction to core principles of freedom, the European Union and a stable economic order.
CDU foreign policy expert Roderich Kiesewetter echoed this sentiment, suggesting that remaining members risked undermining their own credibility. “Companies become unbelievable if they stay in such an association” he stated, highlighting the AfD’s anti-EU and protectionist platform as a direct threat to Germany’s economic strength.
The pressure on the association extends beyond mere criticism. Dennis Radtke, head of the CDU’s labor union wing, applauded the departures of Rossmann and Vorwerk and urged other members to reconsider their affiliations. He characterized the AfD’s program as damaging to export-oriented businesses, dismissing its combination of economic nationalism, inflammatory rhetoric and divisive policies as unsustainable.
SPD MP Ralf Stegner emphasized the societal responsibility of businesses, arguing that the association has a duty to uphold democratic principles. He suggested that members should sever ties if the organization fails to do so.
Green Party politician Irene Mihalic similarly lamented the shift, stating that the president’s willingness to engage with the AfD had rendered the association untenable for many. She predicted further departures, emphasizing that the economic community broadly recognizes the inclusion of a far-right party as a matter of principle, not simply a matter of preference.
The accelerating wave of departures poses a serious challenge to “Die Familienunternehmer” and raises crucial questions about the relationship between business, politics and the preservation of democratic values within Germany.