Germans in protest vote

The rise of the far-right AfD party in Germany is in line with the trend in the western world, but logically attracts more attention and raises more concern, given the country’s past.

During my two diplomatic postings to Germany, I learned that voters are not always strictly voting for the party of their preference — they use their votes across party lines to send signals to government and/or to rein in traditional parties such as the CDU/CSU and SPD, and to force coalitions that weaken the influence of strong parties. They are generally well-educated and aware of the power of their vote and how to use it effectively.

I believe a significant portion of the votes for the far-right are protest votes following the large number of migrants allowed into Germany. An additional dimension is the stronger support among former East Germans finding integration into the German economy rather difficult.

The fact that the AfD is already in disarray supports the notion that it is more of an “anti” party than a party with a common agenda. Although the world watches the rise of the far right with concern, and rightly so, it is in a sense the normalisation of German politics, since it brings it more in line with trends elsewhere, with anti-immigration as common denominator.

On the positive side, the far-right will now have to participate in parliamentary debates, where they can be held to account by the electorate. As in the US, there will be a reaction once the ugly face of narrow nationalism and intolerance manifests itself more openly.

Dawie Jacobs Sterrewag