Germany, famous for its careful political culture, has long resisted the rise of populism. But with two state elections looming and the far-right at an all-time high, ever more parties, including the mainstream ones, are tapping into populist rhetoric.
West Germany was one of the few countries in the world on which the USA and its Western allies successfully imposed democracy. When Communism collapsed 33 years ago, the East joyfully acceded to the federal republic.
Ever since the Nazi regime, Germans have been painfully conscious of the power of rousing political oratory designed to stoke fears and division. After all, Adolf Hitler didn’t gain power with brute force alone but was carried by bourgeois and middle-class citizens inflamed by his roaring speeches.
Small wonder then that populist rhetoric and strong leaders have not been the mainstay of modern-day German politics. German political parties tend to be known for Merkelian understatement rather than firebrand speeches.
But with the rise of far-right AfD and under the pressure of rising inflation, mass migration, and the looming impositions of climate protection, this era of propriety – it appears – has come to an end.
The AfD, currently polling second, is the indisputable leader in poisoning the political landscape, raging against the “climate cult” and “devious” political opponents, and labelling rescue-at-sea NGOs as “smuggling support squads” on every possible occasion.
But German mainstream parties, too, have recently lowered the standards of political debate. Ahead of two state elections in Hesse and Bavaria on Sunday (8 October), marking a mini-midterm election, this has reached a new level.
Last week, government party SPD (S&D) published a campaign video for the state election in Hesse, in which it presented itself as the only “vote for democracy”, and insinuated that incumbent state Prime Minister Boris Rhein (CDU/EPP) had connections to criminal motorcycle club Hells Angels. After a public outcry, the party took it down.
CDU chief Friedrich Merz, meanwhile, has capitalised on prejudice against migrants, raging that the newcomers would “sit at the doctor’s and have their teeth redone while German citizens next door can’t get appointments”.
It is not the first time that Merz went down that road – he called migrant kids “little pashas” in January, implying that they would behave worse than their German peers.
Merz’ rival for chancellor candidacy, Bavarian Premier Markus Söder (CSU/EPP), has for months campaigned against imaginary demands by the Greens, such as an alleged obligation to use gender-neutral language or a supposed ban on meat (based on one single ministry offering less meat when hosting events).
Söder’s deputy Hubert Aiwanger (FW/Renew Europe), faced with severe accusations that he had circulated a Holocaust-mocking pamphlet as a 17-year-old, was unwilling to provide full clarity or apologise.
Instead, he resorted to a Trump-style defence, bemoaning a “smear campaign” by the media and retracting answers he gave to interview questions before they could be published.
None of those might be a huge scandal on their own, and to readers from other parts of Europe, they might even sound like harmless everyday political fights. But for the German political culture, the frequency of such affairs in such a short time marks a new low.
This has to do with leadership.
While real problems have piled up in the country, Chancellor Olaf Scholz seems to have disappeared.
Many municipalities are overburdened with newly arrived migrants, many citizens cannot afford a heat pump in case their current heating goes bust. Companies are faced with increasing paperwork and unable to fill open positions – and where’s the Chancellor’s response?
At his last big press conference during the summer, he called for “more calmness” and “more respect”, echoing almost the same words he had used in his 2021 election campaign.
But the world has changed dramatically since 2021, and for someone who is not running for chancellor but is the chancellor, such rhetoric is not enough unless it is followed by concrete government action.
Scholz’s three-party government, however, seems unable of decisive action, being split on every political issue, with coalition partners more concerned with their own image than with getting things done – and thus giving the populists ever-more talking points.
It is highly unlikely that a whole country will “calm” down on its own, particularly if politicians are doing the opposite.
It is high time for Scholz to see the writing on the wall, settle the disputes in his coalition (or at least keep them behind closed doors), and focus on solving problems. Germany needs it, and Europe needs it too.
So far, German hearts are still won with hard work rather than cheap talk. But for it to stay that way, a lot of hard work is still needed.
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The Roundup
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Don’t miss this week’s Green Brief: EU nominees fall victim to mounting Green Deal acrimony and the Health Brief: Overarching effect of health in EU policies.
Look out for…
- European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg Monday-Thursday.
- Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski visits Greek regions affected by recent wildfires and floods on Thursday.
- Meeting of the European Political Community in Granada on Thursday.
- Informal meeting of heads of state or government in Granada on Friday.
Views are the author’s
[Edited by Zoran Radosavljevic/Nathalie Weatherald]
Source: euractiv.com
