Reclaim democracy
#68
Dear Friends of Democracy,
There is a lot at stake this year. Around the world. As well as in Germany. Democracy is challenged.
The following elections will take place in my country in 2024:
26 May: Local elections in Thuringia
9 June: European Parliament
9 June Local elections in Baden-Wurttemberg, Brandenburg, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony-Anhalt
1 September: state election (Landtag) in Saxony and Thuringia
22 September: state election (Landtag) in Brandenburg
In Thuringia, for example, the two populist parties (Alternative for Germany, AfD, and Alliance Sarah Wagenknecht, BSW) could reach an absolute majority in the state parliament.
Election polls for other federal states look similarly less encouraging.
On the other hand, civil society in Germany has woken up.
Since mid-January 2024, widespread protests against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party have been taking place after a report by investigative journalist group Correctiv revealed the presence of in-office party members at the meeting of right-wing extremists at Potsdam in 2023, centred on "remigration" proposals to organize mass deportations of foreign-born Germans, including those with German citizenship.
The demonstrations have died down a bit recently, but they will likely increase again in the near run-up to the upcoming elections.
Plus, civil society isn't just showing up on the streets. People increasingly don't want to leave the digital space to extremists.
A campaign under the hashtag #ReclaimTikTok is intended to bring "democratic discourse" back to the platform on which AfD content is particularly successful politically.
In my opinion, it's high time.
For too long, well-known politicians have not treated TikTok as centrally crucial. But that is changing. For instance, Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has started a TikTok account as "a counterweight to the AfD," as he said in an interview. Chancellor Olaf Scholz recently announced at a citizens' dialogue in Dresden that he wanted to be present on TikTok with the federal government in the future.
How To Save Democracy: It is not just a question of whether democratic politicians will go where the AfD is successful and reclaim the digital space. We can all do this. So, let's take back the digital space! Because there is a lot at stake. (If you are new to TikTok, why not follow this Step-by-step guide?)
✊,
Johannes Eber