The decision by the Munich Security Conference (MSC) to allow representatives of Germany’s right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party to participate in its 2026 gathering has reignited a contentious debate over democracy, political exclusion, and the limits of Germany’s long-standing “firewall” against the far right. While conference organizers insist the move reflects a commitment to dialogue rather than endorsement, critics warn it could signal a subtle normalization of a party many view as extremist.

For the past two years, the AfD had been barred from attending one of the world’s most influential security forums. The exclusion was introduced under the leadership of Christoph Heusgen, the MSC’s former chairman and a close ally of the German political establishment. Heusgen defended the ban by stating he did not want to “roll out the red carpet for a right-wing extremist party,” reflecting the widespread concern among mainstream parties that AfD participation would lend the group legitimacy on an international stage.

That policy has now been reversed. Wolfgang Ischinger, who served as MSC chairman from 2008 to 2022 and has returned as interim head until former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg takes over, confirmed that AfD politicians have been invited to the 2026 conference, scheduled for February 13–25. Speaking to Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Ischinger framed the decision as consistent with the conference’s founding principles.

“The MSC is a dialogue format,” he said. “Traditionally, the widest possible spectrum of opinions, including contrary ones, should be made clear.”

Ischinger was careful to add caveats. According to........

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