Skip to main content

Entry of far right in Bundestag: Assertion of retrograde German nationalism, anti-immigration and anti-Islam

By Sadhan Mukjerjee*
The election results in Germany show a dangerous portent. Though Angela Markel has become the 4th time Chancellor of Germany but her party CDU-CSU has got the lowest vote since 1949. It has lost substantial voter support. The CDU-CSU has won only a 33% vote, aer CDU-CSUH loss of 8.5%.
Similarly, Social Democrats have lost heavily losing 5.2% votes and winning only 20.5%. It leader Martin Schultz has declared that the party will not join the Markel’s government, thus ending the Grand Coalition that ruled Germany. Many in that party felt that the party has not got its due in the coalition and hence it is better to operate as an independent entity.
What is however a dangerous trend is Alternative for Germany (AfD)’s surge, winning 12.6% votes, a gain of 7.9%. This means it will not only enter the Bundestag (Parliament) for the first time but also become the third largest party in parliament.
The German election has been described as an election of joy and despair, joy because Angela Markel wins the forth term as Chancellor and despair because the extreme rightwing has made an entry into parliament. A commentator has pithily put that Markel like Obama is more popular abroad than at home.
But it is not just merely despair; the victory of AfD has shown a dangerous growth trend in Germany as this party openly opposes entry of refugees and foreigners into Germany; its main theme is Hate for fellow human beings, assertion of retrograde German nationalism, anti-immigration and anti-Islam. More and more Germans seem to opt for such negative German policies.
It stands to reason that Angela Markel will now form a coalition with the Left, Greens and Free Democratic Party (FDP). THE SPD has refused to team up with Markel. The Left has marginally increased its vote by 0.6% with 9.2% vote, FDP with 12.6% votes (a gain of 5.9%) and the Greens with 8.9%, an increase of 0.5% votes. So Germany will have a coalition of CDU-CSU with Jamaica parties (Red, Green and Yellow, that is the colours of Jamaican flag), meaning the Left, the Green and the FDP in Germany.
This will however not be an easy coalition. For example, FDP is a pro-Business party while the Greens have their own agenda of changing Germany. Angela Markel will have an uphill task not only to cobble up the coalition but also to carry on the government’s current policies. Will Markel be comfortable with Left? That is a question that is yet to be seen.
There is another lurking danger. The AfD has won in the areas that was formerly German Democratic Republic (GDR) and was ruled by National Front which was run by the communist party (the Socialist Unity Party of Germany). After the collapse of GDR, the parties which controlled West Germany never really helped former GDR areas to grow as West German areas did. It was again a feeling of Divided Germany.
Probably Angela Markel has understood this. After the election results were out, she said the success of the far right was a test for Germans. It was important to listen to the concerns of their voters and win them back, she said. But this is easier said than done as the time in hand is not a long period, barely four years to the next election.
The refugee problem and security of Germany is the immediate big headache for the government. Germany has had several terrorist attacks and now it is said that 700 potential terrorists have been identified in Germany.
Other issues include Euro zone and austerity, international issues in which Germany is actively involved, relations with Britain, Russia etc.
German economy is still fine but there is lack of investment in infrastructure. It has renounced nuclear energy but the alternative sources have not grown to the extent required. Also there is competition from other countries. Germany’s nomenclature as power house of Europe still holds good but its preeminent position is slowly eroding.
Germany’s relations with developing countries, most likely, will not change. Here again time will tell.
---
*Veteran journalist

Comments

TRENDING

Beyond his riding skill, Karl Umrigar was admired for his radiance, sportsmanship, and affability

By Harsh Thakor*  Karl Umrigar's name remains etched in the annals of Indian horse racing, a testament to a talent tragically cut short. An accident on the racetrack at the tender age of nineteen robbed India of a rider on the cusp of greatness. Had he survived, there's little doubt he would have ascended to international stature, possibly becoming the greatest Indian jockey ever. Even 46 years after his death, his name shines brightly, reminiscent of an inextinguishable star. His cousin, Pesi Shroff, himself blossomed into one of the most celebrated jockeys in Indian horse racing.

Aurangzeb’s last will recorded by his Maulvi: Allah shouldn't make anyone emperor

By Mohan Guruswamy  Aurangzeb’s grave is a simple slab open to the sky lying along the roadside at Khuldabad near Aurangabad. I once stopped by to marvel at the tomb of an Emperor of India whose empire was as large as Ashoka the Great's. It was only post 1857 when Victoria's domain exceeded this. The epitaph reads: "Az tila o nuqreh gar saazand gumbad aghniyaa! Bar mazaar e ghareebaan gumbad e gardun bas ast." (The rich may well construct domes of gold and silver on their graves. For the poor folks like me, the sky is enough to shelter my grave) The modest tomb of Aurangzeb is perhaps the least recognised legacies of the Mughal Emperor who ruled the land for fifty eventful years. He was not a builder having expended his long tenure in war and conquest. Towards the end of his reign and life, he realised the futility of it all. He wrote: "Allah should not make anyone an emperor. The most unfortunate person is he who becomes one." Aurangzeb’s last will was re...

PUCL files complaint with SC against Gujarat police, municipal authorities for 'unlawful' demolitions, custodial 'violence'

By A Representative   The People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has lodged a formal complaint with the Chief Justice of India, urging the Supreme Court to initiate suo-moto contempt proceedings against the police and municipal authorities in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The complaint alleges that these officials have engaged in unlawful demolitions and custodial violence, in direct violation of a Supreme Court order issued in November 2024.

How the slogan Jai Bhim gained momentum as movement of popularity and revolution

By Dr Kapilendra Das*  India is an incomprehensible plural country loaded with diversities of religions, castes, cultures, languages, dialects, tribes, societies, costumes, etc. The Indians have good manners/etiquette (decent social conduct, gesture, courtesy, politeness) that build healthy relationships and take them ahead to life. In many parts of India, in many situations, and on formal occasions, it is common for people of India to express and exchange respect, greetings, and salutation for which we people usually use words and phrases like- Namaskar, Namaste, Pranam, Ram Ram, Jai Ram ji, Jai Sriram, Good morning, shubha sakal, Radhe Radhe, Jai Bajarangabali, Jai Gopal, Jai Jai, Supravat, Good night, Shuvaratri, Jai Bhole, Salaam walekam, Walekam salaam, Radhaswami, Namo Buddhaya, Jai Bhim, Hello, and so on. A soft attitude always creates strong relationships. A relationship should not depend only on spoken words. They should rely on understanding the unspoken feeling too. So w...

राजस्थान, मध्यप्रदेश, पश्चिम बंगाल, झारखंड और केरल फिसड्डी: जल जीवन मिशन के लक्ष्य को पाने समन्वित प्रयास जरूरी

- राज कुमार सिन्हा*  जल संसाधन से जुड़ी स्थायी समिति ने वर्तमान लोकसभा सत्र में पेश रिपोर्ट में बताया है कि "नल से जल" मिशन में राजस्थान, मध्यप्रदेश, पश्चिम बंगाल, झारखंड और केरल फिसड्डी साबित हुए हैं। जबकि देश के 11 राज्यों में शत-प्रतिशत ग्रामीणों को नल से जल आपूर्ति शुरू कर दी गई है। रिपोर्ट में समिति ने केंद्र सरकार को सिफारिश की है कि मिशन पुरा करने में राज्य सरकारों की समस्याओं पर गौर किया जाए। 

State Human Rights Commission directs authorities to uphold environmental rights in Vadodara's Vishwamitri River Project

By A Representative  The Gujarat State Human Rights Commission (GSHRC) has ordered state and Vadodara municipal authorities to strictly comply with environmental and human rights safeguards during the Vishwamitri River Rejuvenation Project, stressing that the river’s degradation disproportionately affects marginalized communities and violates citizens’ rights to a healthy environment.  The Commission mandated an immediate halt to ecologically destructive practices, rehabilitation of affected communities, transparent adherence to National Green Tribunal (NGT) orders, and public consultations with experts and residents.   The order follows the Concerned Citizens of Vadodara coalition—environmentalists, ecologists, and urban planners—submitting a detailed letter to authorities, amplifying calls for accountability. The group warned that current plans to “re-section” and “desilt” the river contradict the NGT’s 2021 Vishwamitri River Action Plan, which prioritizes floodpla...

CPM’s evaluation of BJP reflects its political character and its reluctance to take on battle against neo-fascism

By Harsh Thakor*  A controversial debate has emerged in the revolutionary camp regarding the Communist Party of India (Marxist)'s categorization of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Many Communists criticize the CPM’s reluctance to label the BJP as a fascist party and India as a fascist state. Various factors must be considered to arrive at an accurate assessment. Understanding the original meaning and historical development of fascism is essential, as well as analyzing how it manifests in the present global and national context.

Haven't done a good deed, inner soul is cursing me as sinner: Aurangzeb's last 'will'

Counterview Desk The Tomb of Aurangzeb, the last of the strong Mughal emperors, located in Khuldabad, Aurangabad district, Maharashtra, has this epitaph inscribed on it: "Az tila o nuqreh gar saazand gumbad aghniyaa! Bar mazaar e maa ghareebaan gumbad e gardun bas ast" (the rich may well construct domes of gold and silver on their graves. For the poor folks like me, the sky is enough to shelter my grave).

Implications of deaths of Maoist leaders G. Renuka and Ankeshwarapu Sarayya in Chhattisgarh

By Harsh Thakor*  In the wake of recent security operations in southern Chhattisgarh, two senior Maoist leaders, G. Renuka and Ankeshwarapu Sarayya, were killed. These operations, which took place amidst a historically significant Maoist presence, resulted in the deaths of 31 individuals on March 20th and 16 more three days prior.

How polarization between different ideological trends within the communist movement sharpened in India

By Harsh Thakor*  This article is a rejoinder to A Note on Slogans of “Left Unity,” “Unity of the Communist Revolutionaries” and “Mass Line” by Umair Ahmed, published on the Nazariya blog .