The extremists have solidified their place in German politics.
The far-right party AFD gained over 32% of the votes in the regional elections in Thuringia, becoming the main power in this eastern German state, and also secured second place in Saxony state by a slight margin.
Surprisingly, the far-left extremist movement managed to gain over 10% of the votes, despite recently forming a united party and movement. One of the most significant developments in German politics in recent decades is the emergence of anti-immigrant discourse in both sides of German politics.
This discourse has strengthened neo-Nazi right-wingers and created a special trend among leftists, who, in a disturbing manner, have found a strong foothold in a part of the liberal and leftist German society that is concerned and angry about the growth of immigration and the entry of refugees, mainly due to economic reasons. Previously, we reported on the dangers of extremist behaviors by migrants, especially Muslims, and various terrorist attacks carried out by them, and now the consequences of those actions can be seen in these elections.
The destructive trend of violent actions by immigrants and refugees continues, and it is natural that this part of German society should find solutions to control the violence of its members. Anger and frustration from xenophobia and racism, if not stopped by violence, will be a score and a gift for the racists.
Just a few days ago, an Afghan refugee attacked a member of the racist AFD party in an anti-Islam rally, resulting in the death of a German police officer. There are various issues and backgrounds for dissatisfaction with the German government and centrist parties.
The high inflation and economic problems in previous years, which have now reached 2%, have made the stagnant German economy bitter for the people.
The progressive European and German policies in supporting and seriously pursuing climate change policies that alter people’s lifestyles and have economic implications are intolerable for many people, especially attracting a high vote from dissatisfied Germans, particularly the right-wing.
This phenomenon also significantly influenced the recent elections in the Netherlands, where right-wing parties benefited greatly from it. Beyond all this, the crisis of cultural, social, and economic differences arising from ethnic and racial contradictions still governs German politics.
Widespread gatherings in support of refugees and immigrants and opposition to racism, which are usually held in Germany, have not had any impact on the growth and empowerment of right-wing groups in eastern Germany. These are areas with fewer immigrants, and the majority of the eastern German society is both dissatisfied with their unbalanced situation with the West and harbors resentment towards others.
The solidarity of this part of Germany with the Russians and the overt and covert propaganda activities of the Russians to radicalize the people in these regions have also been effective in supporting extremists. The AFD party has shown no reluctance in showing solidarity with the Russians.
