Chancellor Friedrich Merz drew widespread criticism for endorsing Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf, a far-left candidate to Germany’s top court who claimed that unborn babies do not have ‘human dignity.’
Every major political party in Germany has ruled out forming a coalition government with the conservative, populist AfD, including Friedrich Merz's Christian Democrats (CDU). But it is doubtful that their 'firewall' will hold up in the long term.
The anti-war, pro-remigration AfD could rule alongside the CDU with an absolute and solid majority providing Germany with a stable government. Yet the anti-populist 'firewall,' an agreement of all other parties to shut out the AfD, forbids this.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz asked after the vote that the Bundestag be dissolved and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is expected to set February 23 as the date for an election.