Mass protests have erupted in Germany against the far-right AfD party after revelations of their discussion on mass deportations. The podcast explores the rise and controversies surrounding AfD, including their extremist threats to democracy and infiltration into security services. It also discusses the challenges faced by Chancellor Scholz's government and the importance of citizen participation in preserving democracy.
Mass protests in Germany signal a turning point in public perception of the far-right AfD party.
The rise of the AfD raises concerns about the capture of state institutions by right-wing extremists.
Deep dives
The rise of the far-right party AFD in Germany
The podcast episode discusses the rise of the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AFD) in opinion polls over the past year. The revelation that party activists held a meeting to discuss mass deportation of immigrants, including German citizens, has sparked backlash. The AFD claims to represent ordinary people against a corrupt elite and has gained significant support, with more than one in five Germans indicating they would vote for the party. However, anti-AFD demonstrations across Germany, the largest in decades, signify strong opposition to racism and fascism. This has led to growing concerns about the AFD's dangerous agenda.
The significance of the Lakeside meeting and its impact
The podcast explores the significance of the Lakeside meeting in Berlin, where hard-right representatives openly discussed the mass deportation of immigrants, including German passport holders. The meeting involved influential individuals, including the head of the identitarian movement and a backbencher from the Christian Democratic Party in Germany. While the radicalization of the AFD has been observed for the past decade, the reporting of this meeting triggered widespread political demonstrations across Germany, perhaps indicating a turning point in public perception of the AFD. These demonstrations have revealed a broad and diverse opposition to the party's extreme agenda.
The factors contributing to AFD's support and concerns about democracy
The podcast delves into the factors contributing to the AFD's surge in support, beyond the specific issue of migration. It discusses real and imaginary grievances, highlighting the crisis of representative democracy in Western societies. The AFD represents a challenge to Germany's stable constitutional order and seeks to change the German constitutional order through its white ethno-nationalist, Islamophobic ideology. However, many Germans, including wealthy individuals, have shown support for the AFD due to their perception of the failings of successive governments. The rise of the AFD raises concerns about the capture of state institutions, such as the police, by right-wing extremists.
Germans have been staging mass protests against the far-right ideology of the AfD party. This followed revelations about a meeting late last year in which the party and its backers discussed the potential for mass deportations of people of foreign origin. Gideon discusses whether this could be a turning point in German politics with international affairs analyst Constanze Stelzenmüller. Clip: The Guardian