Vithanage Erandi Kawshalya Madhushani Jade Times Staff
V.E.K. Madhushani is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Europe.
Discontent with Established Parties Fuels Support for AfD and Other Populist Movements
Support for the far right Alternative for Germany (AfD) continues to grow in eastern Germany, with the party recently winning the most votes in regional elections in Thuringia. As Brandenburg approaches its own elections, polls suggest the AfD could secure the most votes there as well, signaling a significant shift in the region's political landscape.
In the small villages of Jämlitz and Klein Düben, near the Polish border, support for the AfD has surged. Ingolf, a former conservative (CDU) voter, expresses frustration with how successive governments have handled issues like education, which he believes was better during his childhood in the communist German Democratic Republic. He also voices concerns over the economy and immigration, drawing comparisons to recent far right riots in England that he describes as nearing “civil war like conditions.”
In Jämlitz, where the idea of civil strife feels distant, the AfD’s stance on foreign policy, particularly their call to stop sending weapons to Ukraine, has found resonance. “The money for Ukraine is an issue,” says Yvonne, a local resident who sees war as senseless and argues that German tax money should be spent domestically. Although Yvonne leans toward the newly formed Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), which shares the AfD’s opposition to arms supplies to Ukraine, she reflects a broader anti-establishment sentiment.
Sahra Wagenknecht’s party has rapidly gained traction in Saxony and Thuringia, with her “left wing conservatism” appealing to voters disillusioned with traditional parties. Critics, however, view her movement as another pro-Putin, populist faction undermining Germany’s foreign policy stance.
In eastern Germany, the older generation, raised during the GDR years, retains a connection to Russian language and culture. Combined with a historical pacifism stemming from the scars of two world wars, there is a palpable fear of conflict escalation, especially with Poland just a short distance away. “We are then the first ones to go when the tanks come across,” Yvonne notes, underscoring the anxiety of potential threats from the east.
In local council elections, the AfD secured 57.5% of the vote in Jämlitz and Klein Düben, with similar levels of support across the wider district. This comes ahead of Brandenburg’s state parliament election, where the AfD leads the polls, following their victory in Thuringia and a close second in Saxony. Notably, the AfD attracted 36% of the under 30 vote in Thuringia, reflecting its growing appeal among younger voters.
Despite its popularity, the AfD remains controversial, officially classified as a right wing extremist group in three states. Other parties continue to refuse any coalition with the AfD, limiting its power even if it performs well in the upcoming elections.
At a nearby lake, once an open cast coal mine and now a popular spot for locals, reactions to the AfD’s rise are mixed. Katrin, a resident, expresses disappointment with the party’s local support. “Half the people here didn’t vote for the AfD,” she emphasizes, but she struggles to understand why so many have turned to the far right.
She speculates that a sense of complacency might be at play, with people idealizing either the past or alternatives without fully grasping the consequences. Despite improvements in average wages and household wealth in eastern Germany, disparities with the west persist, fueling feelings of discontent and alienation.
Mainstream parties, including those in Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition, appear uncertain about how to address the rise of the AfD and BSW, which are polling nationally at about 18% and 8%, respectively. As Germany’s traditionally stable and consensus driven political scene faces new challenges from populist movements, the eyes of the nation are turning east, where the rise of the far right continues to reshape the country’s political landscape.
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