German interior ministers drop unanimity rule to counter AfD veto

Germany’s state interior ministers have abandoned the principle of unanimity to counter the prospect of a representative from the far-right populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) heading a regional interior ministry and blocking decisions.

According to a report by Tagesschau, the backing of 13 out of 16 states will now suffice to adopt joint decisions at the Standing Conference of Interior Ministers (IMK).

Until now, an unwritten unanimity rule applied during the state ministers’ meetings, under which a decision could be approved only if no state raised an objection.

Abstentions were permitted under the existing practice. Because the IMK lacks binding bylaws, the unanimity rule rested on decades of established convention.

Whether to retain this principle, designed to encourage consensus and common ground among parties on contentious issues, had been under debate among ministers for some time.

Established in 1954 to ensure interstate coordination, the IMK has convened approximately 220 meetings since its foundation. The conference generally convenes twice a year, in the spring and autumn.

The interior ministers’ step follows electoral gains secured by the AfD in regional contests.

At the beginning of September, the party placed first in the state parliamentary election in Saxony-Anhalt, securing 43.8% of the vote.

The new state parliament must convene within 30 days of the election at the latest, by 6 October.

The AfD also emerged as the leading party in the election held in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern on 21 September, winning 38.2% of the vote.

The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) remained at 4.9% of the vote, failing to clear the 5% threshold required to enter the state parliament.

The party’s ascent is also influencing political balances at both the national and European levels. The AfD has been recorded leading the CDU/CSU bloc by 10 points in national opinion polls.

Politico reported on 29 September that the European People’s Party (EPP), the largest political group in the European Parliament, has formed a working group to prepare for the 2029 elections and win back voters leaning towards far-right parties, including the AfD in Germany.