00:00For decades German politics had a rule. Never work with the far right. No deals, no coalitions,
00:05no compromises. This policy of political isolation, dubbed Germany's firewall,
00:10was meant to keep extremist parties out of power. But as Germany heads into the 2025 federal
00:17election on February 23rd, it might be about to crumble. The far right AFD is now polling
00:24as Germany's second largest party. Once dismissed as unelectable, they've gained ground on issues
00:29like immigration and the economy. The main conservative party, CDU, recently passed an
00:35anti-immigration motion with AFD support. Former Chancellor Angela Merkel called it a dangerous
00:40mistake. For years the CDU vowed never to work with the AFD, but with more and more voters
00:46demanding tougher immigration policies, some conservatives say the firewall no longer makes
00:51sense, and that shutting out millions of AFD voters is undemocratic. It's not a debate limited
00:58to Germany. Across Europe, surging far-right parties are entering governments. Germany has
01:04long been an exception, but if the firewall breaks here, February 23rd could be a tipping
01:10point in European politics. Will Germany hold the line or open the door to a new political reality?
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