Germany’s public mood was disheartened after the June 2019 European elections. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) became the country’s second-largest European party, winning 15.9 percent of the vote. This made the AfD a mainstream party in one fell swoop, for the first time since World War II.
Voting maps showed that Germany was divided into East and West Germany, with East German states won by the AfD while West German states went to Christian Democrats. My town, Oranienburg, is located north of Berlin and has many people who have moved away from the capital. Here, the AfD received almost a third of votes, or 28.5 percent, making it a significant victory in our region.
The success of the AfD can be attributed to several factors: protest votes against traditional parties, economic concerns with low growth rates, and connections with neo-Nazis and racist ideologies that are particularly embarrassing to many Germans who carry the legacy of World War II. The museumized Sachsenhausen concentration camp in Oranienburg and street-side election ads appealing to advance Germany’s interests in the world further added to this negative image.
Despite these scandals, however, many Germans continue to support the values promoted by the AfD due to their appeal on issues such as immigration and nationalism. It is not just about protest votes but also about disillusionment with traditional parties and economic difficulties that have led to this surge in support for extremist groups like the AfD. In light of current polls, it seems likely that both Christian Democrats and AfD will see significant electoral victories in upcoming state elections in East Germany in 2021. If these trends continue unchecked until 2025 parliamentary elections, we may see a victory party for both parties together – a government coalition that includes an extreme right group like AF
