The meteoric rise of ultra-right AfD party in
Germany has only one parallel in the history of modern German nation: the rise
of Nazism under Adolf Hitler. Inaugurated in 2013 by disaffected former members
of CSU/CDU, it has overgrown in stature & power. What caused this
phenomenon?
The Alternative for Germany as a political party founded
on 6 February 2013 by a group of dissidents from the centre–right conservative
party CDU/CSU, headed by Bernd Lucke, Alexander Gauland and Konrad Ada. They
complained that German treasury is not used for the development of Germany but for
bailing-out failed euro zone countries. They collectively lent expression over
Euro Scepticism and when the refugee crisis hit Europe donned an anti-immigration
posture.
Today the
situation is dire. The AfD enjoys public confidence at 26% in recent
opinion polls, beating the incumbent Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s coalition. In the
forthcoming state elections AfD might prove to be a government forming party.
Elections are expected to be held in two tranches:
In March 2026 two stares go to poll, namely Baden-Württemberg
and Rhineland-Palatinate. Three more see hustings
in September 2026: Berlin,
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Saxony-Anhalt. Notably, Afd is cruising with
comfortable stake in all five states, especially 39% in Saxony-Anhalt and 38%
in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Overall
a balmy 26% support is shown for AfD compared to about 20.8% it registered in
February 2025
Let me enumerate the causes:
1. CDU/CSU alliance with SPD is most contentious as partners argue over policy and practice regarding migration, military involvement against Russia, retirement benefits, economic plans and priorities for public expenditure and many more. Result: a weak government at the helm.
2. The failure not only of the governing coalition
but by others such as The Green Party, The Liberals and The Left, to make as
stand against right –wing extremism and to ensure maintenance of the fabric of
democracy and freedom is so glaring for everybody to see.
3. Contrarily, what is happening is right-wing campaigns
are being organised on daily basis and the public is fed with anti-incumbent
propaganda, all sort of misinformation, media blitz regarding perceived terrorism
purported to be carried out by immigrants and finally attempts to polarise the media towards extreme
right wing posture.
4. The AfD resorted to the use of social media to
organize events and canvass people to attend these where party propaganda can
be spewed out to the willing listeners with an idea to sway them to their side.
5. Instead of coming into terms with the broader
expectations of the German society as regards to growth and harmony, AfD is
becoming more aggressive and yet more radical than it was before. It is now bent
upon bringing together all kinds of far-right activists outside the halls of
parliament to identify with them in their ideals to form a far-right
civilization throughout Germany to capture power in 2019 or probably before.
Every country including Germany has to chart its development
strategy on the basis of national priorities, resources and limitations. That
behoves understanding of economics within and geoeconomics without. Merz’s government is trying to
do the best under the circumstances but without avail.
What is required is saner counsel must prevail in the German cabinet so that strategy amid geoeconomics as a theme is appreciated. Any failure would lead to further unrest!
Cheers!
Muthu Ashraff Rajulu
Strategy Adviser
Mobile: + 94 777 265677
E-mail: cosmicgems@gmail.com
Blog: Strategy Adviser
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