The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is well ahead of the autumn’s important German state elections. On Sunday, people in Saxony and Thuringia vote. In two weeks, people in Brandenburg will decide who will rule there. All three states are located in what used to be the communist dictatorship of East Germany, GDR, and that still influences how people vote. Many East Germans claim they are treated as second-class citizens in Germany, and say the AfD makes them proud to be German again. If the party gets enough votes in the state elections this autumn, the other parties will have to cooperate with the far right. In the government quarter in Berlin, there is a fear that the AfD may take over power in the old East Germany. SCHOOL: The state government decides on school policy and can create new textbooks or change the number of years children attend school. Photo: Zofia Paszkiewicz / news Länder with a lot of power Each Länder in Germany has its own government. In Saxony, it is the Christian Democrats who have ruled in recent years. In Thuringia, Die Linke, descendants of the GDR’s Communist Party, govern. Brandenburg, the state surrounding the capital Berlin, is governed by Social Democrats. Germany is a federal state where the states have a lot of independence. A new state government can change the school system, initiate a police reform or cut social support for newly arrived refugees. In Saxony, the AfD will strengthen border controls towards Poland and reject more people before they can apply for asylum. Divided Germany The incumbent federal government of Olaf Scholz is not popular in Germany, but even less popular in the old East Germany. This could be seen during this summer’s elections to the EU Parliament, where all three governing parties went backwards sharply. The Social Democrats, who are Scholz’s party, are struggling because of the arms support for Ukraine. The Greens because of expensive climate initiatives. The third party FDP, the Free Democratic Party, has the finance minister, but has not got the German economy in order. WAR AND PEACE: German arms support for Ukraine, as well as sanctions against Russia, are reasons why every third voter in Saxony and Thuringia says they will vote for Alternative for Germany. Photo: Zofia Paszkiewicz / news It has been 35 years since the Berlin Wall, which divided Germany in two, fell. Nevertheless, there are still economic, social and political differences between East and West. Many in the east claim ethnic Germans receive less money from the state than migrants who come to the country. The anti-immigration movement PEGIDA (Patriotic Europeans against the Islamization of Aftenlandet) originated in Saxony. For ten years they have campaigned against immigration and incited Muslims. They are categorized as far-right by the German judiciary. AfD politicians have attended several Pegida demonstrations. “WE ARE THE PEOPLE”: Many East Germans claim they are treated as second-class citizens. Photo: Markus Schreiber / AP Immigration skepticism and criticism of German arms support to Ukraine, as well as sanctions against Russia, are among the reasons why one in three voters in Saxony and Thuringia say they will vote for Alternative for Germany. The Social Democrats are retreating sharply, while the two government partners, the Greens and the liberal party FDP, do not seem to reach the barrier even once. AFD BAN: The entire Thuringian AfD is monitored by the police because they are known as far-right. Photo: Karina Hessland / AFP Used parole from Nazi Germany Such opinion polls are met with horror in major German media and in university offices. Alternative for Germany started as an anti-euro party, but has developed in an anti-democratic direction. It is especially statements from Björn Höcke, who leads the party in Thuringia, that make the warning lights light up. Höcke is a history teacher, but has used the slogan “All for Germany” which was used by the Nazis during the war. For this he has been sentenced to pay a fine. The entire Thuringian AfD is monitored by the police because they are known as far-right. Some jurists have suggested banning the entire party. NAZI PLOT: Höcke is a history teacher himself, but has used the slogan “All for Germany” which was used by the Nazis during the war. Photo: Karina Hessland / Reuters Last December, party members held a secret meeting in Brandenburg where they are said to have discussed plans for “remigration”, to send all immigrants who are not integrated well enough in the country back to where they came from. The fear that the party will take basic human rights away from immigrants and rewrite German war history is one of the reasons why no German party has wanted to cooperate with the AfD, either at federal or state level. A joker from the far left of Germany is characterized by polarization. While the governing parties are shrinking, both the far right and the far left are growing. This is particularly noticeable in the old GDR. The left in German politics has been quarreling with itself for a long time. The party Die Linke consists of both old communists from the east and 68ers from the west. Party members disagree on whether Germany should talk to Putin or whether the country should continue sending weapons to Ukraine. STAR: Last winter, one of Die Linke’s stars, Sahra Wagenknecht, broke away from the party. Photo: JENS SCHLUETER / AFP Last winter, one of Die Linke’s stars, Sahra Wagenknecht, broke away from the party. The party she formed, Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW), has in a few months stolen voters from both the AfD and the left. Wagenknecht has made a name for himself on economic equalization. But even more important is the denial of arms to Ukraine and a freeze on immigration. After the terrorist attack in Solingen, Wagenknecht stated that “the war in Syria is over, there is no reason why we should accept Syrians anymore”. The knife attack was carried out by a Syrian refugee and has put immigration on the agenda in Germany. It can help to strengthen both the outer left and outer right. Who will rule in the East? Nothing is decided until the votes are counted, but the parties have for a long time made it clear who they absolutely do not want to cooperate with. Although the AfD looks set to become the largest party in the three states holding elections, they are unlikely to win an absolute majority. In Thuringia, Wagenknecht’s party appears to be the third largest. COALITION: Opposition to the AfD could lead to coalitions between conservatives, social democrats and the far left. Photo: Karina Hessland / Reuters The major parties say, as they have always said, that they will not cooperate with the far right. CDU leader Friedrich Merz said last weekend that this is ready. At the same time, he did not rule out a collaboration with the far left and BSW. Now the question is whether the opposition to the AfD can lead to new coalitions between conservatives, social democrats and the far left in several states. Hear more about the conflicts in Germany in URIX on Saturday Published 01.09.2024, at 11.15
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Therefore Alternative for Germany can win important elections – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
