After reports circulated about a meeting between politicians and prominent figures from the movement known as the New Right, fears among people of foreign origins in Germany have increased, sparking inquiries about their future in the country. While dealing with the “Alternative for Germany” party (AfD) remains a major political issue for the German public, individuals of migrant backgrounds see this issue as transcending mere politics. They feel increasingly subjected to hostility and devaluation within society. Many immigrants believe that solidarity marches alone are not enough to solve their problem.
Participants in this meeting revealed that the discussion revolved around identifying the scope of individuals who should leave Germany and how to support this, a scope that, from the perspective of these far-right extremists, extends beyond the group of foreigners legally obligated to leave the country.
Since the secret meeting was uncovered, the country has witnessed protests against far-right extremism in many major German regions and cities. This has been accompanied by discussions about calls to ban the AfD, which despite everything has made significant progress in opinion polls, amid fears of the former US President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, which gives morale boost to all right-wing parties across the Western world.
This essay examines the developments in the populist right movements in Germany, as well as the strategies adopted by traditional political parties to counter the rise of the right-wing in the country. Additionally, it explores the public reactions to the rumors surrounding the conference attended by German figures associated with the right-wing.
The Risks of the Secret Meeting
The secret meeting mentioned, investigates and made public by Correctiv, poses a significant concern due to the involvement of officials from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party meeting with Martin Sellner, a leader in the Austrian far-right Identitarian Movement. According to the website, Sellner presented a plan to “reverse the effects of foreign migration“, naming it „remigration“, the expulsion of immigrants and asylum seekers. The Identitarian Movement adheres to the theory of the “Great Replacement,” a conspiracy theory that suggests a deliberate plan for non-white immigrants to replace native European populations.
The Correctiv report has shocked Germany, especially given the timing coinciding with opinion polls indicating national voting intentions for AfD ranging around 19% (March 2024). The party enjoys even higher levels of support exceeding 30% in some former East German regions, where regional elections are scheduled later in 2024.
The secret meeting held in Potsdam near the capital Berlin in November 2023 was attended by around 20 politicians, including prominent figures from the AfD and other neo-Nazis. Additionally, at least two members of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the party of former Chancellor Angela Merkel, were present.
What’s alarming about this meeting is that it discussed the deportation of millions of non-integrated individuals, including those who do not have German origins, even if they have residency rights or have been naturalized. Such discussions are considered a breach of the German constitution and its widely accepted values. German Deputy Chancellor Robert Habeck accused the AfD of seeking to transform Germany into a dictatorial system resembling Russia’s, which some interpreted as implicit support for banning the party.
Given the severity of the rumors surrounding the meeting, the AfD distanced itself from the allegations. The AfD leadership insisted that the referenced meeting was not organized by the party and was neither secret nor official. Alice Weidel, a co-leader of the AfD, stated, “Of course, anyone holding German citizenship is part of our people.”
The alarming news regarding unprecedented right-wing movements since the defeat of Nazism presents negative indicators for the country and diminishes its attractiveness to immigrants, which the German economy needs due to the declining number of young workers. Based on this, the CEO of Deutsche Bank, Christian Sewing, warned of the increasing risks of right-wing extremism in the country, particularly on the economy.
Sewing stated, „there should be no place for hatred and racism in our country,” adding that from an economic perspective, there are also many reasons to take a stand against this extremism. Foreign investors are also engaged in Germany because of its values and reliable democratic structures, and they are already questioning whether they can trust it in the long term. He also emphasized that Germany cannot overcome the shortage of skilled labor unless it becomes an attractive destination for qualified workers from abroad.
Furthermore, the calls from the far-right, especially the AfD, for Germany to exit the European Union have drawn criticism from economic experts. These experts argue that considering Germany’s exit from the European Union, similar to the UK’s Brexit, is “a very dangerous and ill-considered economic nonsense.” This is especially evident given the clearly negative consequences of Britain’s withdrawal on the British economy. Experts emphasize that Europe is “our greatest winning card in global competition.”
On the domestic German level, particularly concerning immigrants, who make up about 9% of the population, with over 20% having migrant roots, State Minister for Integration and Combating Racism in the German government, Aydan Özoğuz, says that “people who grew up as children of immigrants in Germany are wondering if they still have a future here.” She adds, „this is shameful for our country, especially given our history.”
The minister further adds that the threat has reached a new level with the presence of individuals in the uncovered meeting who “embrace a racist, nationalist vision of a ‘purified’ Germany according to racist racial criteria,” and these individuals may have “real power options” in the upcoming elections.
The Counter Moves
Around a quarter of a million people participated in protests that spread throughout Germany. Frankfurt, the country’s financial capital, witnessed a massive demonstration with around 35,000 participants, according to local police estimates. Protesters held banners calling for the defense of democracy and condemning the extremist party. Similarly, Hanover in the north of the country saw a similar demonstration where protesters likened the extremist party to Nazism and called for their exit from the German political scene. In Dortmund, located in the west, around 30,000 people marched, according to local police. Demonstrations also took place in several other cities, including Erfurt, Aachen, Kassel, and several other smaller towns. Political leaders, religious figures, and coaches in the German football league also called for protests against the extremist Alternative for Germany party.
Peter Tschentscher, the Mayor of Hamburg and Social Democrat, stated that „we are united and determined not to let our country and our democracy be destroyed for the second time since 1945“, directing his words towards the AfD. Chancellor Olaf Scholz praised the protesters, warning that any “deportation plan” is an “attack on our democracy and therefore on all of us.”
On the other hand, 25 members of the Social Democratic Party in the German Parliament (Bundestag) have called for a discussion on imposing a ban on the AfD, particularly concerning “extremist” associations affiliated with the party. According to the German constitution, parties that seek to undermine the “free democratic basic order” must be classified as “unconstitutional.”
Alice Weidel, a co-leader of the AfD, condemned the discussions of banning the party. Any move to impose a ban on the party would entail political risks, as well as potential legal hurdles, especially since the party is likely to emerge as the strongest party in the next elections in September, particularly in the three eastern German states: Thuringia, Saxony, and Brandenburg.
Despite the actions demonstrated by parties in power or those in opposition with anti-right tendencies, some observers believe that the overall trend in Germany has become more stringent towards immigrants. Zeynep Yanasmayan, a sociologist who has been living in Germany for ten years and works as a department head at the German Center for Social Research and Migration in Berlin, says there are political attempts to make “Germany less attractive in order to reduce the number of people seeking refuge here.”
She mentioned that the active parties in the right-wing arena are trying to hijack terms from migration research such as “relocation” to camouflage their plans aimed at expelling immigrants. However, she saw that using softer terms like “relocation” or “repatriation” to express harsh measures is also a phenomenon that can be observed in the middle of the political spectrum.
The government official responsible for combating racism says, „the contemptible idea of humanity, which sees some people as more valuable than others, is deeply rooted,” adding, „in politics as well, we have turned a blind eye for far too long to right-wing narratives and have not taken decisive action against them.”
Chancellor Olaf Scholz, along with local government leaders, agreed on a series of measures in October 2023 aimed at making Germany less attractive to immigrants. For example, the measures include tightening immigration policies in Germany by reducing financial assistance allocated to immigrants.
Previously, every foreigner arriving at an initial reception center would receive food, accommodation, and 182 euros in cash each month to meet their essential personal needs. Additionally, Germany extended a measure adopted in 2022 to enhance border inspection procedures with Poland, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland to limit the arrival of foreigners on its territory.
According to observers, these measures are aimed at withdrawing the immigration card from the AfD. However, at the same time, they contribute to changing the general mood among the German people and making them more receptive to anti-immigrant rhetoric. Ultimately, this weakens the position of traditional parties in facing the right-wing, especially amidst the numerous criticisms facing the current German government on economic and political fronts.
The possibility of banning the AfD
Policy and society discuss the legal avenues against right-wing parties. Banning parties might be the most radical option, but it’s not the only one. The Federal Constitutional Court is concerned with this matter, especially with significant obstacles to banning any party in Germany.
The German Constitution allows for the possibility of banning any party if its goals or the behavior of its members adopt slogans aimed at weakening or eliminating the free democratic basic order or endangering the existence of the Federal Republic of Germany. No political party in the Federal Republic may be banned except by the Federal Constitutional Court, upon request from the federal government, the Bundestag or a state government.
Requests can also be made to ban individual government associations affiliated with a party – for example, government associations classified by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution as right-wing extremist.
At present, three associations affiliated with the AfD party are classified as “right-wing extremist”: these are the associations in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. Discussions are also underway regarding the possibility of imposing a ban on the youth organization affiliated with the party.
The third option is to revoke the political rights of individual politicians, as the revocation of basic rights is enshrined in the German constitution to prevent enemies of democracy from abusing their freedoms to undermine democracy.
There is also the possibility of depriving parties of state funding, as Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) mentioned regarding the consequences for members of the AfD who are “known enemies of the constitution.” These consequences may include “non-compliance with public service or restrictions on party funding.” Any party can be excluded from state subsidies if these subsidies weaken or harm the free and democratic basic order or endanger the existence of the federal republic.
Experts point out that many youth associations affiliated with the AfD, along with numerous regional associations of the party in eastern Germany, have been classified by authorities as right-wing extremist. At the federal level, the party has been classified as a “suspected case of right-wing extremism.”
This means that the Office for the Protection of the Constitution is allowed to use intelligence means, such as recruiting informants, monitoring individuals, and, if other requirements are met, even monitoring communications.
However, experts believe that banning or punishing the party will not lead to the desired result, as right-leaning voters always have other alternatives, including new movements that may be more extreme than the AfD.
Based on this, it seems that banning the party is not feasible in the desired sense, as it is unlikely that the objective requirements for a successful ban will be met, considering also the lessons learned from the failed ban against the National Democratic Party. Moreover, the risks of taking legal action in this political situation could also lead to adverse consequences, possibly reaching the level of political catastrophe. If you ban a party that you dislike but it continues to advance in opinion polls, it will lead to greater solidarity with it. Even people who are not voters or sympathizers of the AfD may show solidarity with it in such a case.
The conditions required for banning a party are the same as those for depriving it of funding, with the only difference being the legal term “feasibility.” According to the Federal Constitutional Court, a party can be deprived of state funding “if there are tangible indicators that it poses a threat to democracy.” However, in the case of a complete ban, the threat to democracy must be tangible and persistent.
Conclusions:
- Given the current trends among the German population, especially the dissatisfaction with the current government’s policies, taking decisive legal action against the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is difficult because it could potentially increase its popularity not only among right-wing voters but also among those discontent with the government.
- The only viable solution is to further isolate and politically marginalize the AfD through collaboration among traditional political parties that reject it. This includes avoiding alliances and political deals with the AfD, continuing awareness campaigns against the resurgence of racism in Germany, whether in the economic or political spheres, and addressing internal issues and potential violence resulting from these efforts.
- The recent protests in Germany have yielded some results. Following massive anti-right-wing protests in several German cities, a poll showed a significant decline in the popularity of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, described by experts as the largest decline in about two years. According to a survey conducted by the INSA research group for Bild newspaper and published on January 23, 2024, support for the AfD dropped from 23% to 21%.
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