A country is waking up
#43
The Story
Germany takes to the streets
Why?
Protests against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party are gaining momentum in the wake of a report that two senior party members joined a meeting to discuss plans for the mass deportation of citizens of foreign origin. Hundreds of thousands have since taken to the streets.
Why so many?
Because the meeting triggered Germany‘s darkest history: the deportation of millions of Jews, the Holocaust. Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across Europe.
The Germans are afraid that history will repeat itself.
Many, yes. However, it is a conflict that is currently taking place in many countries. Part of the population wants society to go backwards, with a nostalgic image of a strong nation, of a strong people. But now, a new alliance between many different groups is mobilising in the middle of society to address the question of how we can strengthen democracy, how we can create a positive future, and how we can be even more inclusive.
But do these demonstrations change anything?
For sure. Everyone who demonstrates experiences a sense of community that there are people here like me who care about democracy. This strengthens and encourages us to stand up for the cause.
Will politics change, too?
German society has moved to the right in recent years. Politics had adapted to this development. In particular, the migration issue was heated and discussed furiously, even among democratic parties. The message was: We have to show toughness. Now, the middle of society, which has remained silent for a long time, is standing up and saying: Yes, migration must be regulated and controlled, but not with this anger and severity. And since these protests are taking place in the middle section of society (“zivilgesellschaftliche Mitte”), supported by companies, churches, and sports, politics has to react to them.
How To Save Democracy
These mass rallies may initially help the AfD. They score points for presenting themselves as victims. The others exclude them; they want to destroy them – that is their narrative to the voter. On the other hand, just less than a third of their voters have a determined right-wing extremist worldview. So, most AfD voters can be impressed and also be influenced by the mass demonstrations. The bourgeois milieus that hoped to find an alternative to the conservative party CDU in the AfD will hopefully see themselves in a state of doubt. The challenge for the democratic political parties will be to offer these people attractive options.