As Germany prepares to give Chancellor Angela Merkel a fourth term in office in the September 24 election, there is a sense of celebration and optimism. Germany is a democracy and a leader getting elected again and again despite heavy odds is an undisputable testament to her superior talent and governance skills. And there is no surprise, in Germany or abroad, about Merkel’s likely reelection. It’s considered something natural. She has been considered the leader of the free world, the most powerful leader in Europe whose voice is equally powerful at the European Union, and a leader everybody is now turning to with hope in their hearts when US President Donald Trump, who should actually be leading the world, is turning away leaving a painful vacuum.
But even amidst this sense of optimism, there is a sad news coming from Germany about the rise of the far-right party Alternative for Germany, called AfD. AfD is a party of racists, climate change deniers and hate-mongers who believe that Germany should stop atoning for its Nazi past. With the party getting eight percent to 12 percent support in polls, it is predicted to be the first ultranationalist party to enter Germany’s parliament since the 1950s and surprisingly, its rise comes at a time when far-right parties have suffered setbacks in neighbouring Poland, Austria and France. Since its formation in 2013, the party has managed to enter 13 of 16 state parliaments.
The rise of the far-right will have huge consequences for Germany’s future and will lead to unravelling the progress it has achieved in social harmony and racial integration. Merkel, after getting elected, will have to work assiduously to prevent a spread of the far-right sentiment. But it’s easier said than done. Since anti-immigration sentiment and Islamophobia are the two key factors fueling the rise of the right, mainstream parties will be forced to veer to the right to prevent the AfD from poaching in their territory. This is already happening. The government and mainstream political parties have appealed to the anti-immigrant sentiment, allowing AfD’s ideology to shape the election and public debate. That’s a huge victory for the racists.
The AfD has got a disruptive and divisive ideology. Its manifesto promises a ban on all mosques and minarets, prohibition of Muslim calls to prayer and criminal action against people wearing the veil. It has also called for a change in attitude to Germany’s historic crimes in the second world war.
Unfortunately, Merkel is paying a heavy price for her pro-immigration policies. Germany welcomed hundreds of thousands immigrants, mostly from Syria, more than any other.
