German conservatives want 'democratic' alliance after historic vote
Hendrik Wüst, the premier of the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, denounced the AfD in a speech in Dusseldorf and said that "the major problems of our time must be solved from the democratic centre."
The AfD "is misanthropic, it is racist in parts, it is anti-European," said Wüst, who leads Germany's most populous state.
On Wednesday, the CDU relied on support from the AfD to narrowly pass its non-binding five-point plan for a tougher migration policy through the Bundestag, the lower house of Germany's parliament.
The move was extremely controversial, marking the first time the AfD have been relied upon to form a majority for legislation.
Another vote on a CDU-backed package of migration policies is expected in parliament on Friday with concrete measures aimed at cracking down on asylum-seekers entering the country.
The AfD and two minor parties have signalled they will support the bill.
Wüst did not address the votes directly, but said that Germans are worried about crime and migration and "it must not happen that only the right-wing fringe provides the quick answers."
The CDU premier of the northern state of Schleswig-Holstein, Daniel Günther, appealed explicitly to other established parties to back Friday's bill.
"There is a broad majority in the population in favor of having clear rules when it comes to internal security and the enforcement of law and order," said Günther. "And it must be democrats who come to a common solution here."
He called Wednesday's vote "bitter" and said that mainstream democratic politicians now have "a real historical responsibility to face."
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