Germany’s political “firewall” against the Alternative for Germany (AfD) has come under growing popular pressure, with polling published on August 6, 2026 showing that a majority of Germans are now open to some form of political cooperation between the AfD and the established parties. The shift could have significant consequences for Germany’s political system. Yet they have never governed together because the CDU/CSU has maintained a strict firewall against cooperation with the AfD. The term Brandmauer, literally “firewall”, describes the commitment by Germany’s established parties to keep the AfD out of government and to avoid political cooperation with it. For critics of the Brandmauer, the CDU/CSU is increasingly paying a political price for ruling out cooperation with the AfD.