I think a deeper dive into the population decline within the former DDR fits in nicely in this thread. The discussion can certainly be tied to AfD's platform and their strong popularity in that region which constitutes their base. To my mind the discussion would in its way dispel the false claim that the AfD is an extremist party. As to your first reason I agree. If the current government worked well then that would automatically translate to most everyone being happy because they'd be thriving. It's not working well, however, so the proof is in the pudding. And I agree, too, that this forces voters to opt for some fresh blood. The AfD is untested as up to now they are limited to rhetoric. But their supporters are willing to gamble since sticking with what they have is clearly not an option. Typical human nature at work. The supporters obviously like the AfD's selling points. That much is self-evident as well. I doubt the people give a wink about the extremist label placed on them by the Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (BfV). If the people see the report as I do then they see it for what it was. @BeastOfBodmin posted a link exposing the true nature of purposes of the BfV's failed report. It worth reposting here: https://www.eugyppius.com/p/spy-agency-report-on-the-alleged?utm_source=publication-search Your second reason is distinct from the first and important. The long-term failure to manage immigration — not only the numbers, but the downstream effects on cities, social trust, crime, and parallel societies — has created a deep and specific grievance. What makes it politically explosive is the accompanying refusal by much of the political class and media to accept responsibility for the results. Problems are routinely blamed on “the right,” on “lack of integration funding,” on “racism,” or on the migrants themselves, but almost never on the policy choices that produced the situation. That pattern of deflection has eroded trust more than the policy failures alone would have. You are right that the AfD remains untested in government and may prove no better at solving Germany’s problems once it holds power. My only hope is that it resists the temptation to engage in social engineering. Using the state to dictate how people should live, and then enforcing compliance, has become one of the more destructive habits of modern government. If the AfD simply continues that practice under different branding, it will have learned nothing. We will have to wait and see. I'll split your post up to keep the replies as short as possible.
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