Yesterday, hundreds of thousands of Germans took to the streets of Berlin to protest against the leader of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Friedrich Merz, after he collaborated with the AfD last week to successfully pass an amendment in a piece of anti-immigration legislation which ultimately failed. The move from Merz has been seen as breaking the longstanding convention in German politics to not work with the far-right. So with the German election just 20-days away, what is happening in Germany?
“We can no longer avert our gaze” Anna Schwarz (Protestor)
Ever since the Second World War, the German state has proactively attempted a programme of education and rehabilitation to guard against the repetition of previous horrors. The relationship therefore between the far-right party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) and the rest of Germany’s polity is a particularly tense one.
The decision by Freidrich Merz last week to work alongside the AfD in an attempt to pass anti-immigration legislation has exposed those underlying tensions in German politics, highlighting both the resurgent strength of the AfD and the insecurity felt by those in the CDU. Since 1945, a longstanding taboo has reigned in German political culture, a policy of non-cooperation with the far-right has limited the growth of such politics. In collaborating with the AfD last week, Merz has broken 80-years of consensus and legitimised the AfD as a political force.
Only in November did Merz make assurances that his party would never vote with the AfD nor form a coalition government together. But politicians lie all the time? Why is this u-turn so significant for Germany and Europe?
“This is truly a historic moment … Mr Merz, you helped bring it about and now you stand here with shaking knees, trembling and apologising,” Bernd Baumann MP (AfD)
The answer lies in how Merz’s actions legitimise the AfD and their political beliefs. Legitimisation is power for far-right parties. Inclusion in the political sphere of influence reassures potential voters that they are capable of being political players, that a vote for a far-right party is not a wasted one. The timing of Merz’s decision is critical, just 20-days until the polls open to elect a new German government. It is a signal of the growing influence of the AfD and the panic in the CDU.
German politics has become increasingly toxic in recent months: first the collapse of Olaf Scholz’s government, then the horrific terror attack in December and now the fear of punitive Trump tariffs on Germany’s already stagnant economy. Indeed, the end of the Syrian civil war has added another complexity to the political picture, over one million Syrians now live in Germany and Angela Merkel’s role as Chancellor in welcoming the refugees in the early 2010s was a source of political capital for the nascent AfD party. Alice Weidel, the leader of the AfD, called for Syrians to be returned immediately in December shortly after the fall of Assad’s regime.
Fears surrounding Trumpian tariffs on the EU are felt particularly strongly by Germans, who fear that the country's automotive industry is under threat. The economic situation in Germany is dire, Volkswagen were forced to close factories (for the first time in 87-years) in a move which symbolises the struggles of a country which has suffered two years of GDP recession. Add into the mix of economic underperformance and resurgent xenophobia, the support for the AfD by the owner of X and richest man in the world, Elon Musk and an even more concerning picture emerges.
In recent weeks the European Union has requested access to the algorithms which govern X after accusations that Musk has designed his media platform to disproportionately promote far-right views and AfD politicians whilst “shadow-banning” opposing voices. In a heavily criticised interview between Weidel and Musk, the AfD politician falsely called Hitler “a communist, socialist guy”. A couple of weeks later, Musk spoke to an AfD rally and called on the party's supporters to move beyond “past guilt”.
“On the first day of my tenure as chancellor, I will instruct the interior ministry to impose permanent border controls with all our neighbours and refuse all attempts at illegal entry,” Freidrich Merz MP, Leader of CDU
The AfD’s poll ratings have been steadily rising over the past few months and are currently at an average of 21%, second only to the CDU who remain on a stable 30%. Whilst remarkably unlikely that the AfD will be able to form a government this time round, if this polling turns into votes it would double the number of AfD MP’s in the Bundestag to well over 100 of the 630 MPs. Germany’s political system, which uses proportional representation, is one defined in part by coalition and collaboration, which shines further light on why Merz’s decision to break the post-war consensus on far-right collaboration this close to the election is so significant.
Even if the CDU does not enter into a formal coalition with the AfD, Merz has opened the door for future collaboration on specific pieces of legislation, likely to be on immigration and other such issues. Much like the influence that Reform UK have had on the Conservative Party in the UK, it is likely that the success of the AfD will pull the CDU further to the right as they fear losing votes on emotive issues.
However, despite the obvious concerns regarding the upcoming election, one thing is clear; the majority of Germans oppose the AfD and their harmful rhetoric. The rally in Berlin on Sunday was the latest example of protests against the far-right and followed rallies the weekend prior in Cologne and in other cities across the country. It is an important example of the value of collective action, the importance of the right to protest and the impact of shows of unity in the face of division.
The rise of the far-right in Germany must teach politicians in Britain of the dangers of legitimisation and of collaborating with those who utilise populist and harmful rhetoric for short term popularity. The recent success of Reform UK in the polls highlights how real of a threat such parties are for our own politics, it is of vital importance that those of us who value democracy and reject divisive rhetoric maintain the strength of our convictions and do not pander nor make concessions to a party which undermines the progressive values that we cherish.