Will the political barrier to the German right AFD fall?

The CDU has so far ruled out cooperation with the AfD through a party convention resolution, the so-called “firewall.” This position is being debated within the party: Saxony’s Minister-President Michael Kretschmer wants to end the debate and talk with parties willing to engage, while party leader Friedrich Merz points to the existing resolutions and wants to uphold them. State elections are also scheduled in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in September 2026. This question tracks whether the CDU officially lifts its firewall against the AfD by the end of September 2026.