Rising Political Extremism in East Germany Signals a Deepening Divide

[Social Media]

 

As Germany braces for key state elections in the former East Germany, the country’s lingering divisions and the rise of political extremism have taken center stage. Anna Wenske, a 69-year-old who worked for decades at East Germany’s national theater, encapsulates the sentiments of many in the region. “After reunification, everything went kaput,” she lamented, reflecting on losing her job and savings and her long struggle to regain stability. Today, Wenske resents what she sees as an unfair preference for refugees over native Germans. “Too many people exist on this planet, and everyone wants to come to us,” she said. “We tell everyone welcome, and we have nothing left for ourselves.”

 

Wenske’s views on the war in Ukraine further highlight a broader skepticism. While she acknowledges that Russian President Vladimir Putin lied about not planning to invade, her distrust extends to the United States. In the upcoming state elections in Thuringia, Wenske plans to vote for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, known for its ethnonationalist stance and controversial language reminiscent of the Nazi era. The AfD’s state branch is classified as right-wing extremist by German intelligence.

 

However, Wenske is also drawn to the new Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), founded by a former communist leader. Although the BSW disavows Nazism and supports the Constitution, its positions closely align with those of the AfD, appealing to disenchanted voters like Wenske. “When I listen to Sahra, somehow she touches me,” Wenske said.

 

The elections in Thuringia, Saxony, and Brandenburg—three states in the former East Germany—are seen as a bellwether for the federal elections in 2025, if the current government survives that long. Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party coalition is facing deep unpopularity, with the Greens, one of the coalition partners, openly criticizing the government’s lack of direction. But these elections also underscore the persistent divide between eastern and western Germany, where extremist parties like the AfD have made significant inroads, shifting the national political discourse, especially on migration and support for Ukraine.

 

The growing influence of the AfD and the BSW has been amplified by recent events, such as a deadly knife attack in Solingen by a Syrian refugee, which killed three people and wounded eight. This incident has fueled anti-immigrant rhetoric from both the AfD and Wagenknecht’s party, prompting Scholz to promise stricter deportation measures and call for tougher European laws on asylum.

 

The issues of refugees, migration, and violent crime have deepened the sense of alienation in the east, where the legacy of East German sovereignty and anti-Western sentiment remains strong. For many, this history is a source of pride and identity. Even today, the east feels like a “country within a country,” akin to Sicily in Italy or Flanders in Belgium. Many easterners feel mocked and colonized by the west after reunification, and a deep-rooted sympathy for Russia persists, fueled by a perception that the United States still dominates German foreign policy.

 

The AfD, with its anti-European Union and anti-NATO rhetoric, has found a receptive audience in the east. The party’s campaign posters featuring German and Russian flags with slogans like “The East does it!” reflect a desire to break away from the West. The BSW, while less radical in its approach, also emphasizes German interests and criticizes NATO’s role in international conflicts.

 

The popularity of these parties is expected to be significant in the upcoming elections, with polls predicting that extremist parties on both the right and left could capture up to 65 percent of the vote in Thuringia, over 50 percent in Saxony, and about 45 percent in Brandenburg. The AfD leads in all three states, reflecting the shrinking center in German politics.

Despite the growing extremism, not everyone in the east is ready to embrace fringe parties. Jens Wickmann, a 56-year-old elevator technician from Nohra, shares many of Wenske’s concerns but refuses to support the AfD. “I don’t want Björn Höcke,” he said, referring to the controversial AfD leader in Thuringia, whom many consider a neo-Nazi. Wickmann plans to vote for the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), which remains the main opposition party in Berlin.

 

The situation presents a challenging landscape for Scholz’s Social Democratic Party, which is polling at a dismal 6 percent in both Thuringia and Saxony. In fact, none of the parties in Scholz’s coalition—including the Free Democrats and the Greens—are expected to secure the 5 percent needed to enter the state parliaments.

 

The political dynamics in the east, shaped by a complex history of Nazi rule and 40 years of Soviet influence, continue to confound Berlin. The east’s economic struggles, coupled with a lingering sense of having been sidelined and misunderstood by the west, have created fertile ground for extremist narratives. Steffen Mau, a sociologist at Humboldt University, argues that unification has not brought the assimilation many hoped for but has instead reinforced deep societal divides. “It was an illusion that unification would bring together two things artificially separated,” Mau said, noting that the east remains relatively poor and ideologically fragmented.

 

The east’s political volatility may offer a glimpse into Germany’s future, according to Thorsten Benner of the Global Public Policy Institute in Berlin. The BSW’s recent emergence complicates the landscape further. Formed by former members of The Left party, the BSW lacks the AfD’s extremist stigma, making it an appealing alternative for voters disillusioned with traditional parties.

 

While the AfD is shunned by all mainstream parties, the BSW’s presence could make it a potential coalition partner, forcing the CDU to navigate difficult choices in the east. Mario Voigt, the CDU’s lead candidate in Thuringia, has focused his campaign on pragmatic issues like energy prices, education, and migration. “We want to frame the race around issues here that matter for the next five years and tell people not to fall into protest votes,” Voigt said.

 

The CDU’s cautious approach reflects a broader strategy among mainstream parties to contain extremist movements by addressing their core issues without compromising democratic values. Daniela Schwarzer, a political scientist and board member of the Bertelsmann Foundation, emphasized the need to prevent these parties from gaining further traction. “The hope is to demystify them before they get into office and contain them to the regional level,” she said.

 

However, even regional success would represent a significant breakthrough for the AfD or BSW, potentially normalizing a more extreme brand of politics in Germany. As the east rises, so too does the challenge of bridging a country still grappling with its past and uncertain about its future.

 

Credit: NYT 2024-08-30

 

 

 

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[JonnyF]

It certainly seems the problems are mounting for Germany, both politically and economically. 

 

I hope this doesn't have any negative impact on the EU. 

[retarius]

It is simply an alternate viewpoint being expressed by people who had no say in the migrant and crime issue. It conflicts with the extremism over illegal migration by the German government started by Merkel. 

[retarius]

4 hours ago, JonnyF said:

It certainly seems the problems are mounting for Germany, both politically and economically. 

 

I hope this doesn't have any negative impact on the EU. 

I disagree. I hope the issue tears the EU apart and makes politicians of the future respect the people's wishes instead of their arrogant authoritarian impulses. The EU is definitely not any sort of democracy and has no moral values worth talking about, except their attitude to genocide of children, which they simply don't care about and supply the arms to carry the hypocrisy out. 

[RayC]

33 minutes ago, retarius said:

I disagree. I hope the issue tears the EU apart and makes politicians of the future respect the people's wishes instead of their arrogant authoritarian impulses. The EU is definitely not any sort of democracy and has no moral values worth talking about, except their attitude to genocide of children, which they simply don't care about and supply the arms to carry the hypocrisy out. 

 

I'm sure that he will correct me if I have misinterpreted him, but I believe that there is an element of sarcasm in JonnyF's post.

 

As for the rest of your post, could you elaborate about the lack of democracy and moral values in the EU, and be a bit more specific about the EU's attitude to the "genocide of children" and the hypocrisy.

[candide]

57 minutes ago, retarius said:

I disagree. I hope the issue tears the EU apart and makes politicians of the future respect the people's wishes instead of their arrogant authoritarian impulses. The EU is definitely not any sort of democracy and has no moral values worth talking about, except their attitude to genocide of children, which they simply don't care about and supply the arms to carry the hypocrisy out. 

I'm going to be more direct than RayC: that's complete B.S.! 😁

[newbee2022]

1 hour ago, retarius said:

I disagree. I hope the issue tears the EU apart and makes politicians of the future respect the people's wishes instead of their arrogant authoritarian impulses. The EU is definitely not any sort of democracy and has no moral values worth talking about, except their attitude to genocide of children, which they simply don't care about and supply the arms to carry the hypocrisy out. 

Sounds like a comment from a mad house to me.  It's just a line up of fakes without any sense.🥺

[JonnyF]

40 minutes ago, RayC said:

 

I'm sure that he will correct me if I have misinterpreted him, but I believe that there is an element of sarcasm in JonnyF's post.

 

Moi? 👀

 

40 minutes ago, RayC said:

 

As for the rest of your post, could you elaborate about the lack of democracy and moral values in the EU, and be a bit more specific about the EU's attitude to the "genocide of children" and the hypocrisy.

 

It's been done to death but you could start by looking at how many citizens in the EuroZone voted for Von Der Leyen.

[Donga]

43 minutes ago, RayC said:

 

I'm sure that he will correct me if I have misinterpreted him, but I believe that there is an element of sarcasm in JonnyF's post.

 

As for the rest of your post, could you elaborate about the lack of democracy and moral values in the EU, and be a bit more specific about the EU's attitude to the "genocide of children" and the hypocrisy.

Yep, I second that, pls clarify RayC as smells like denial of Hamas and Islamic world generally on the horrors of building military infrastructure as well as firing missiles from civilian buildings. What kind of sick society does that and why are so many useful idiots silent about it.

I may be wrong so excuse me if there is some other meaning to "genocide of children" but see it all the time in connection to "Free Palestine" which is only missing two words "from Hamas".

[AndreasHG]

Interesting the comparison between east Germany and Sicily in Italy or Flanders in Belgium (but he list could be much longer). East Germans, after 50 years of Soviet ruling and despite the fact that they won back their freedom 35 years ago, are still ill prepared for life in a modern and dynamic society, like the one in which unification threw them in 1990.

 

However, East Germans do not want a return to the old Soviet or Nazi times. They are not idiots, and they perfectly understand that both Russia and Nazism have nothing to offer them.

All they want is attention. They hope that, after attention, money too will start flowing (in the form of subsidies) from Berlin and Frankfurt in their direction. And voting for the parties that the average west German finds particularly repelling, does attract attention. A lot of it.

 

As someone said about D.J. Trump. "it's not that his bark is worse than his bite. It's that he feels an overwhelming desire to be petted". East Germans too feel an overwhelming desire to be petted.

 

Edited August 30 by AndreasHG

[RayC]

1 hour ago, Donga said:

Yep, I second that, pls clarify RayC as smells like denial of Hamas and Islamic world generally on the horrors of building military infrastructure as well as firing missiles from civilian buildings. What kind of sick society does that and why are so many useful idiots silent about it.

I may be wrong so excuse me if there is some other meaning to "genocide of children" but see it all the time in connection to "Free Palestine" which is only missing two words "from Hamas".

 

If you want to be helpful and/or engage in a meaningful discussion, perhaps you could address the questions which I posed to retarius directly.

[RayC]

1 hour ago, JonnyF said:

 

Moi? 👀

 

😂

 

1 hour ago, JonnyF said:

 

It's been done to death but you could start by looking at how many citizens in the EuroZone voted for Von Der Leyen.

 

The exact same number as those UK citizens who elect the Cabinet Secretary. 

 

The link below details the processes for elections and appointments in the EU in case you need to refresh your memory.

 

https://european-union.europa.eu/institutions-law-budget/leadership/elections-and-appointments_en

[deadbeat]

I cant wait to see Starmer running over to Berlin to congratulate the new Afd chancellor and then flying to Paris to consult with the new president of France, Ms Le Pen.

Forget about rejoining.

[newbee2022]

3 hours ago, retarius said:

illegal migration by the German government

What is illegal migration vs legal migration?

Or do you mean asylum seekers? They're all legal.

[Nick Carter icp]

4 hours ago, retarius said:

I disagree. I hope the issue tears the EU apart and makes politicians of the future respect the people's wishes instead of their arrogant authoritarian impulses. The EU is definitely not any sort of democracy and has no moral values worth talking about, except their attitude to genocide of children, which they simply don't care about and supply the arms to carry the hypocrisy out. 

 

   The E.U doesn't support terrorism and rightly so , The E.U supports Israel's fight against terrorism 

[Nick Carter icp]

4 hours ago, retarius said:

I disagree. I hope the issue tears the EU apart and makes politicians of the future respect the people's wishes instead of their arrogant authoritarian impulses. The EU is definitely not any sort of democracy and has no moral values worth talking about, except their attitude to genocide of children, which they simply don't care about and supply the arms to carry the hypocrisy out. 

 

   Why do Pro Palestinians keep going on about Children all the time ?

   Seems like Children are their only concern .

There need to be an investigation into the phenomenon of Pro Palestinian  supporters and their interest in Children 

[Cameroni]

2 hours ago, AndreasHG said:

 East Germans, after 50 years of Soviet ruling and despite the fact that they won back their freedom 35 years ago, are still ill prepared for life in a modern and dynamic society, like the one in which unification threw them in 1990

 

More amusing drivel, good job. In fact East Germans themselves brought about unification, uniquely bringing down a political regime by peaceful protests. One could argue that East Germans, ie the ones marching on the streets and risking their lives were the ones who brought communism to an end.

 

Some of the very brightest and most able people in Germany come from East Germany, in fact it was sufficient to occupy the post of prime minister for many years.

 

But of course they will not be allowed to vote AfD because West Germany is a pseudo democracy where political parties do backroom deals to ostracize the AfD, and ensure the AfD is hobbled in every conceivable way. This includes the German secret service spying on AfD members and funding being withdrawn. No matter what happens the AfD will be unable to achieve anything. We saw the same in France when a right wing party threatened to win votes. The political establishment will find ways to stop it from happening. To say nothing of the abysmal and biased German media.

 

Democracy in Western Europe is nothing but a bad joke. I've not voted in years. Total waste of time. Far from being a "modern and dynamic" society Germany is one of the most backward nations, where internet is among the poorest in Europe and government bureucracy is still trying to catch up with digitalisation. The Greens, the SPD, Die Linke, they've all ensured Germany has become a basket case, and now, uniquely is the only country in Europe in actual recession.

 

 

[AndreasHG]

38 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

But of course they will not be allowed to vote AfD

 

38 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

German secret service spying on AfD members

 

LOL. Not allowed to vote AfD? In Germany? Seriously? What did you smoke this morning?

 

German secret service spying on AfD members! What a crime! I understand how frustrating it must be for former STASI officers to be jobless, while their western opponents kept their badge and their gun, and are still doing their job.

You may ask Putin to send you a few kilograms of polonium, awaiting the beer that will be distributed to celebrate the AfD's victory in Thuringia. It's no mystery that the ex-STASI officers prefer the BSW over the AfD for ideological reasons. And they can still blame the BKA for the poisoning. 

 

But please, keep on abstaining from casting your vote. It seems you don't value this right. Hence you don't deserve it.

 

Edited August 30 by AndreasHG

[Cameroni]

31 minutes ago, AndreasHG said:

 

 

LOL. Not allowed to vote AfD? In Germany? Seriously? What did you smoke this morning?

 

German secret service spying on AfD members! What a crime! I understand how frustrating it must be for former STASI officers to be jobless, while their western opponents kept their badge and their gun, and are still doing their job.

You may ask Putin to send you a few kilograms of polonium, awaiting the beer that will be distributed to celebrate the AfD's victory in Thuringia. It's no mystery that the ex-STASI officers prefer the BSW over the AfD for ideological reasons. And they can still blame the BKA for the poisoning. 

 

 

 

 

LOL, you're not well informed about German politics clearly. What happened when Thomas Kemmerich was voted into office with the help of the AfD, replacing Ramelow? After howls of indignation from the mainstream parties and the media Kemmerich was forced to resign even though he was lawfully voted into office, all because it was the first time the AfD had helped form the government! So yes, it's not allowed!

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51399445

 

The media in Germany keeps demonising the AfD and anyone who votes AfD, it's not allowed, not in the sense that there's a law against it, but anyone who would admit to voting AfD would not be allowed into polite German society. Any politician who is voted into office with the help of the AfD has to resign after a few weeks of media and political manipulation, like with Thomas Kemmerich. All the political parties are ensuring to boycott the AfD, never mind that Germans voted for them. Legal cases are started to stop the AfD from getting funding. Its leaders are under surveillance by the secret service.  It's banana republic stuff.

 

Quote

But please, keep on abstaining from casting your vote. It seems you don't value this right. Hence you don't deserve it.

 

Not only do I not value the right to vote in Germany, I have long opted to leave this failed country. Living in Thailand is far better. I note you too have come to that conclusion. Lol.

Edited August 30 by Cameroni

[AndreasHG]

7 minutes ago, Cameroni said:

Not only do I not value the right to vote in Germany, I have long opted to leave this failed country. Living in Thailand is far better. I note you too have come to that conclusion. Lol.

Quite the opposite: I value Germany (also because I was lucky enough to study German when I was a young student, and to appreciate both its culture and people) and I value my home country, because anything I am I owe to it.

 

I am not on the run, not from the law enforcement, not from the taxman, not from my ex and not even from myself.

 

But I also lived in Thailand for a while when I was younger, and I ended up loving this country. Hence the decision to come back here when the opportunity arose.

[Donga]

23 hours ago, RayC said:

 

If you want to be helpful and/or engage in a meaningful discussion, perhaps you could address the questions which I posed to retarius directly.

Apologies as I posted hastily, when you had already asked Retarius to clarify his glib "genocide of children" rubbish.

Amazing how many Left/Greens ignore Oct 7, Hamas infrastructure and missiles from civilian schools, mosques, hospitals, let alone decades and centuries of history, then crap on about IDF genocide. Incredible brain wiring or easily brainwashed.

[RayC]

19 minutes ago, Donga said:

Apologies as I posted hastily, when you had already asked Retarius to clarify his glib "genocide of children" rubbish.

Amazing how many Left/Greens ignore Oct 7, Hamas infrastructure and missiles from civilian schools, mosques, hospitals, let alone decades and centuries of history, then crap on about IDF genocide. Incredible brain wiring or easily brainwashed.

 

Thanks for your clarification. 

[daveAustin]

On 8/29/2024 at 9:38 PM, Social Media said:

Today, Wenske resents what she sees as an unfair preference for refugees over native Germans. “Too many people exist on this planet, and everyone wants to come to us,” she said. “We tell everyone welcome, and we have nothing left for ourselves.”

The balanced individuals of the UK feel your pain. There will be more of this around Europe as normal people that didn't ask for it push back against naive left wing policies. Merkel should take a large part of the blame. But, of course, you are labelled as racist for questioning it.

 

Absolutely nothing wrong with normal, means-based migration to this or that country, nothing at all, it's what enriches cultures and builds nations, but you absolutely CANNOT have undocumented people (typically abled males) with no intention of assimilating or contributing piling in and piling in. Genuine refugees, yes, but the majority of these are not refugees. If people cannot see this or think it's wrong to be concerned by it, then sorry you need your head read. If things aren't turned around soon, there will be strife on the streets and the ugly side of the Right will rise up. Who wants that rubbish?

Edited August 31 by daveAustin

[thaibeachlovers]

On 8/30/2024 at 8:38 AM, Social Media said:

Today, Wenske resents what she sees as an unfair preference for refugees over native Germans. “Too many people exist on this planet, and everyone wants to come to us,” she said. “We tell everyone welcome, and we have nothing left for ourselves.”

Ain't that the truth?

A common take in the west these unhappy days. Liberals have failed completely to improve the lives of ordinary citizens, and it's unlikely they ever will, so voters turn to the alternative.

 

I'm with Howard Beale- I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore ( even if I have to elect a far right government to get rid of the liberal elites that are destroying out lives ).

[thaibeachlovers]

15 hours ago, daveAustin said:

There will be more of this around Europe as normal people that didn't ask for it push back against naive left wing policies.

I don't think that it's naive left wing policies at all. I think they know exactly what they are doing and are just pretending, to get the sheeple on board with their policies till it's too late.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 8/30/2024 at 8:38 AM, Social Media said:

where extremist parties like the AfD have made significant inroads, shifting the national political discourse, especially on migration and support for Ukraine.

and support for Ukraine.

 

Indeed, Looks not well for Ukraine, as more politicians in supporting countries turn against supporting the US proxy war.

If the AFD win large that may be it for Germany's support.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 8/30/2024 at 11:07 PM, Cameroni said:

The media in Germany keeps demonising the AfD and anyone who votes AfD, it's not allowed, not in the sense that there's a law against it, but anyone who would admit to voting AfD would not be allowed into polite German society. Any politician who is voted into office with the help of the AfD has to resign after a few weeks of media and political manipulation, like with Thomas Kemmerich. All the political parties are ensuring to boycott the AfD, never mind that Germans voted for them. Legal cases are started to stop the AfD from getting funding. Its leaders are under surveillance by the secret service.  It's banana republic stuff.

When the AFD gains power, and it seems inevitable given the disaster the present mob have created, revenge will be sweet!

The moderates should listen to the people, instead of blundering along alienating voters with ill considered policies. That's a common trait among western nations- arrogant people in power that think they can do whatever they like.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 8/30/2024 at 10:00 PM, Cameroni said:

Democracy in Western Europe is nothing but a bad joke. I've not voted in years. Total waste of time. Far from being a "modern and dynamic" society Germany is one of the most backward nations, where internet is among the poorest in Europe and government bureucracy is still trying to catch up with digitalisation. The Greens, the SPD, Die Linke, they've all ensured Germany has become a basket case, and now, uniquely is the only country in Europe in actual recession.

Sounds like a country I'm more familiar with than Germany. I guess the same sort of people managed to get into power in most western countries and are doing the same job of destroying their countries.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 8/30/2024 at 5:25 PM, retarius said:

I disagree. I hope the issue tears the EU apart and makes politicians of the future respect the people's wishes instead of their arrogant authoritarian impulses. The EU is definitely not any sort of democracy and has no moral values worth talking about, except their attitude to genocide of children, which they simply don't care about and supply the arms to carry the hypocrisy out. 

I thought he was being sarcastic.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 8/30/2024 at 6:52 PM, Donga said:

Yep, I second that, pls clarify RayC as smells like denial of Hamas and Islamic world generally on the horrors of building military infrastructure as well as firing missiles from civilian buildings. What kind of sick society does that and why are so many useful idiots silent about it.

I may be wrong so excuse me if there is some other meaning to "genocide of children" but see it all the time in connection to "Free Palestine" which is only missing two words "from Hamas".

Can we please keep the off topic rants about Gaza to the relevant subforum.