How serious is Germany’s far-right problem?
4 years, 10 months ago

How serious is Germany’s far-right problem?

The Hindu  

The story so far: The killing of nine people at two shisha lounges in Hanau, Germany, last week by a person suspected to have a far-right background has heightened concerns about the country’s right-wing extremism. In recent years, Germany, like several other European countries, has seen twin far-right problems — growing street violence by extremists against minorities and immigrants and the rapid political rise of the far-right party Alternative for Germany, which has normalised to an extent anti-immigrant rhetoric in the country’s political discourse. The rise of the AfD, which broke with Germany’s post-war consensus on pluralism and multilateralism and took an overly German nationalist approach at all issues, from internal and external security to economic policy, has shaken up the political climate in the country. The party’s 2017 manifesto read “Islam does not belong to Germany” and called Muslims “a big danger for our state, our society and our system of values.” These extreme views helped the AfD turn around its fortunes.

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History of this topic

Germany: How rise of right and Musk's involvement have stirred anxiety
5 days, 1 hour ago

Germany: How rise of right and Musk's involvement have stirred anxiety

Firstpost  

Now Germany wants a clearer European position and is wary of Trump 2.0. Musk’s comments have stirred Germany’s pot of anxiety Founded in 2013, the AfD has built its base on staunch opposition to immigration and criticism of European Union policies. This election marks a pivotal moment in Germany’s political trajectory, as the right and Eurosceptic Alternative for Germany has …

JD Vance calls Elon Musk’s piece praising far-right German party AfD ‘interesting’
Trending News
1 week, 6 days ago

JD Vance calls Elon Musk’s piece praising far-right German party AfD ‘interesting’

The Independent  

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Vice President-elect JD Vance took to X to call an …

Far-right AfD holds rally as Magdeburg mourns Christmas market victims
3 weeks, 2 days ago

Far-right AfD holds rally as Magdeburg mourns Christmas market victims

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery Candles and flowers outside the …

Germany’s AfD rallies in Magdeburg, site of deadly Christmas market attack
3 weeks, 3 days ago

Germany’s AfD rallies in Magdeburg, site of deadly Christmas market attack

Al Jazeera  

The far-right party holds ‘memorial’ rally for victims of car-ramming attack that has inflamed debate on migrant and security policy. Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany party has held what it calls a “memorial” rally for the victims of a car-ramming attack on a Christmas market that has inflamed debate on migrant and security policy. “Terror has arrived in our city,” …

Germany debates migration and motives after deadly Christmas market attack
Trending News
3 weeks, 3 days ago

Germany debates migration and motives after deadly Christmas market attack

Al Jazeera  

As the nation mourns the victims of violence in Magdeburg, the far right is rallying against migration. The day before the attack, US billionaire Elon Musk stirred controversy by posting on the X social media platform he owns: “Only the AfD can save Germany.” Observers have described a sense of fear and concern, saying a blame game over the Magdeburg …

Germany’s far-right AfD to expel members over links to ‘militant’ groups
2 months, 1 week ago

Germany’s far-right AfD to expel members over links to ‘militant’ groups

Al Jazeera  

The political party that made gains in regional polls is defended by its leaders while labelled ‘right-wing extremist’ by Germany’s security services. The far-right Alternative for Germany political party has said it will throw out three of its members who have been arrested on suspicion of having joined an “extremist” paramilitary group. The AfD leadership in the eastern state of …

Can a single election in eastern Germany put a stop to Europe’s far-right surge?
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Can a single election in eastern Germany put a stop to Europe’s far-right surge?

The Independent  

Voters in the German state of Brandenburg go to the polls this weekend, in the last of a trio of regional elections in the former East Germany that are seen as a gauge of the political climate – not just in these states, not just in Germany, but across Europe. While there are specific aspects of the history, geography and …

'Europe’s long rightward lurch continues' as Germany's AfD projected to win
4 months, 1 week ago

'Europe’s long rightward lurch continues' as Germany's AfD projected to win

Raw Story  

Germany's far-right party Alternative for Germany is projected to win in Sunday's statewide elections in a political earthquake—the first time a far-right party has won an election in Germany since the 1930s Nazi-era. Today's election results are seen as a barometer of public sentiment toward German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition ahead of Germany's next national election in a little over …

AfD’s win in Germany shows it’s young men driving the rise of the far right across Europe
4 months, 1 week ago

AfD’s win in Germany shows it’s young men driving the rise of the far right across Europe

The Independent  

On 9 June, Jordan Bardella, leader of France’s far-right National Rally, addressed an enthusiastic and jubilant audience with remarkable composure and confidence. open image in gallery National Rally president Jordan Bardella chimes with a young population who feel disillusioned and underserved The AfD’s gains were especially large among young voters. open image in gallery The far-right Portuguese party Chega is …

5 takeaways from Germany's regional elections after far right makes historic gains
4 months, 2 weeks ago

5 takeaways from Germany's regional elections after far right makes historic gains

NPR  

5 takeaways from Germany's regional elections after far right makes historic gains toggle caption Markus Schreiber/AP BERLIN — Voters in two states in eastern Germany have delivered a far-right party its best result since World War II. The Alternative for Germany, known by the German initials AfD, a nationalist party that routinely blames immigrants for many of Germany’s problems, has …

Germany’s far right gets a boost from past traumas haunting industrial east
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Germany’s far right gets a boost from past traumas haunting industrial east

The Hindu  

In the relatively well-off city of Zwickau, in Germany’s former Communist East, economic uncertainty and a turbulent history have combined to drive support for the far right ahead of a key regional election. “People are afraid of losing everything they have built up again over the years,” said Zwickau’s Mayor, Constance Arndt. To understand why “the mood is so bad” …

Germany’s far right predicted to make biggest gains since Nazi era in key state elections
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Germany’s far right predicted to make biggest gains since Nazi era in key state elections

LA Times  

Bjoern Hoecke of the far-right Alternative for Germany party speaks at a rally in Suhl, Germany, this month. It’s become a painful pattern for Germany’s political mainstream: Once again, a far-right party that for many evokes the country’s Nazi past is poised for an unprecedented show of electoral strength. The populist-nationalist Alternative for Germany, or AfD — which in a …

Germany's grandmothers take on the far-right ahead of key state elections
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Germany's grandmothers take on the far-right ahead of key state elections

NPR  

Germany's grandmothers take on the far-right ahead of key state elections toggle caption Sascha Thelen/picture alliance/dpa/Getty Images ERFURT, Germany — Amid the throng and bustle of Saturday shoppers in the cathedral city of Erfurt, a group of women in their 70s has gathered on a medieval market square, holding signs that read Omas gegen Rechts — Grandmas against the far-right. …

A candidate for Germany’s key party was beaten up while campaigning for European elections
8 months, 1 week ago

A candidate for Germany’s key party was beaten up while campaigning for European elections

LA Times  

A candidate for the center-left party of German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, left, was attacked while putting up campaign posters in Dresden. A candidate for Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s center-left party in next month’s election for the European Parliament was beaten up and seriously injured while campaigning in an eastern city, the party said Saturday. The main center-left grouping, the Party …

Germans thought they were immune to nationalism after confronting their Nazi past. They were wrong
9 months, 4 weeks ago

Germans thought they were immune to nationalism after confronting their Nazi past. They were wrong

Associated Press  

BERLIN — When Sabine Thonke joined a recent demonstration in Berlin against Germany’s far-right party, it was the first time in years she felt hopeful that the growing power of the extremists in her country could be stopped. FILE - People gather to protest against the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD party, and right-wing extremism in front of the …

Prominent figure in German far-right party to go on trial in April for alleged use of a Nazi slogan
11 months ago

Prominent figure in German far-right party to go on trial in April for alleged use of a Nazi slogan

Associated Press  

BERLIN — One of the most prominent figures in the far-right Alternative for Germany party will go on trial in April on charges related to his alleged use in a 2021 speech of a slogan used by the Nazis’ SA stormtroopers, a court said Friday. Björn Höcke, 51, is the party’s leader in the eastern state of Thuringia and an …

The popularity of a far-right party produces counter-rallies across Germany
11 months, 2 weeks ago

The popularity of a far-right party produces counter-rallies across Germany

Associated Press  

BERLIN — Hundreds of thousands of people in Germany turned out for a third weekend to protest the popularity and policies of the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD party. A rally in Hamburg took place Sunday with a theme of “For diversity and our democracy - Hamburg stands united against the AfD.” Organizers said that up to 100,000 people …

What’s behind mass protests against Germany’s far-right AfD party?
11 months, 3 weeks ago

What’s behind mass protests against Germany’s far-right AfD party?

Al Jazeera  

‘Nazis, no thank you’ and ‘It feels like 1933, AfD ban now!’ read some of the banners at protests across the country. Protests against the far-right Alternative for Germany party are gaining momentum in the European Union nation in the wake of a report that two senior party members joined a November meeting in Berlin, where planned mass deportation of …

Protests against Germany’s far right gain new momentum after report on meeting of extremists
11 months, 3 weeks ago

Protests against Germany’s far right gain new momentum after report on meeting of extremists

Associated Press  

BERLIN — Tens of thousands of people protested the far right in cities across Germany on Saturday, attending events with slogans such as “Never Again is Now,” “Against Hate” and “Defend Democracy.” The large crowds were the latest in a series of demonstrations that have been gaining momentum in recent days. The protests also build on growing anxiety over the …

German far-right party assailed over report of extremist meeting
11 months, 4 weeks ago

German far-right party assailed over report of extremist meeting

Associated Press  

BERLIN — Germany’s governing parties assailed a resurgent far-right opposition party on Thursday over a report that extremists recently met to discuss the deportation of millions of immigrants, including some with German citizenship, which has led to a string of protests in recent days. National polls currently show AfD in second place with support of over 20% — behind the …

German far-right party assailed over report of extremist meeting
11 months, 4 weeks ago

German far-right party assailed over report of extremist meeting

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Germany's governing parties assailed a …

Why Germans are protesting against a political party and comparing it to Nazis
11 months, 4 weeks ago

Why Germans are protesting against a political party and comparing it to Nazis

Firstpost  

Thousands of people across Germany have taken to the streets against a political party. Reuters Sky News quoted the party as saying that its members attended the meet in a ‘purely personal capacity.’ However, some AfD MPs have come out in favour of the plan. “And even from people who are not AfD sympathizers or voters, the collateral damage would …

Demonstrations against the far right held in Germany following a report on a deportation meeting
1 year ago

Demonstrations against the far right held in Germany following a report on a deportation meeting

Associated Press  

BERLIN — Thousands of people gathered in Germany on Sunday for demonstrations against the far right, among them Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his foreign minister, following a report that extremists recently met to discuss the deportation of millions of immigrants, including German citizens, if they took power. Scholz and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock represent the Potsdam area in the German …

Germany’s Scholz condemns alleged plot by far-right groups to deport millions if they take power
1 year ago

Germany’s Scholz condemns alleged plot by far-right groups to deport millions if they take power

Associated Press  

BERLIN — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Thursday sharply condemned alleged plans by members of far-right groups who supposedly met recently at a mansion outside Berlin to devise a plot to deport millions of immigrants, even those with German citizenship, if the groups take power. “Anyone who opposes our free democratic order” is a case for Germany’s domestic intelligence office …

Far-Right German party AfD closer to outright ban after further anti-Semitism claims
1 year, 2 months ago

Far-Right German party AfD closer to outright ban after further anti-Semitism claims

The Telegraph  

A regional chapter of the Alternative for Germany party has been classified as extremist by Germany’s intelligence agencies, a move that brings an outright ban on the party a step closer. Leading party figures had demonised migrants by referring to them as “invaders” and “intruders”, said Jochen Hollmann, the state’s spy chief. so that no one can say they didn’t …

Rise of Anti-Semitism in Germany: Why Tough German Laws Failed to Combat Anti-Semitism
1 year, 2 months ago

Rise of Anti-Semitism in Germany: Why Tough German Laws Failed to Combat Anti-Semitism

News 18  

A German politician from the far-right Alternative for Germany party was arrested for allegedly displaying Nazi symbols, after “Sieg Heil” was heard coming from the headquarters of a fraternity to which he belongs. Key Laws Governing Hate Speech Here is a list of some laws that govern hate speech and Holocaust denial in Germany: Section 130: Section 130 of the …

Prominent German leftist to launch a new party that could eat into far-right’s support
1 year, 2 months ago

Prominent German leftist to launch a new party that could eat into far-right’s support

Associated Press  

BERLIN — A prominent German leftist politician has launched plans to form a new party that some observers think could take votes away from the far-right Alternative for Germany. She said that with the economic sanctions against Russia, “we have cut off ourselves off from cheap energy without there being viable alternatives.” She accused Scholz’s government of abandoning “the important …

Prominent German leftist to launch a new party that could eat into far-right's support
1 year, 2 months ago

Prominent German leftist to launch a new party that could eat into far-right's support

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A prominent German leftist politician …

A German county elected a far-right candidate for the first time since the Nazi era, raising concern
1 year, 6 months ago

A German county elected a far-right candidate for the first time since the Nazi era, raising concern

Associated Press  

SONNEBERG, Germany — Mike Knoth is more than thrilled that a far-right populist party’s candidate recently won the county administration in his hometown in rural eastern Germany for the first time since the Nazi era. The far-right party Alternative for Germany, or AfD, he hopes, will improve everything that’s not going well in his eyes in Sonneberg, which is in …

As far right party surges, Germany’s intelligence agency warns of growing extremism
1 year, 6 months ago

As far right party surges, Germany’s intelligence agency warns of growing extremism

Associated Press  

BERLIN — The head of Germany’s domestic intelligence agency warned on Tuesday of a growing threat of extremism, particularly from the far right, with the number of politically motivated crimes carried out by extremists reaching a record high last year. Haldenwang said some members of Alternative for Germany have “very intensive contacts” with Moscow and had met with Russian officials …

Germany intensifies scrutiny of far-right AfD, labeling its youth wing ‘extremist’
1 year, 7 months ago

Germany intensifies scrutiny of far-right AfD, labeling its youth wing ‘extremist’

CNN  

CNN — Germany’s intelligence services already have the right to monitor the far-right Alternative for Germany party, the first time the authorities have taken such a step against a political party since the Nazi era. Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, in April labeled the group as “extremist” after four years of investigation. …

Germany Church Shooting: Rise of Neo-nazi & Islamist Extremism in Country Explained
1 year, 10 months ago

Germany Church Shooting: Rise of Neo-nazi & Islamist Extremism in Country Explained

News 18  

Several people have been killed in a shooting at a Jehovah’s Witness centre in Hamburg, with the gunman believed to be among the dead, German police said Thursday. An alarm for “extreme danger” in the area had been sounded using a catastrophe warning app, but Germany’s Federal Office for Civil Protection lifted it shortly after 3 am local time. Germany’s …

As Germany begins a new era, where does the far right stand?
3 years, 1 month ago

As Germany begins a new era, where does the far right stand?

Al Jazeera  

While the AfD performed poorly in Germany’s federal election in September overall, it came first in eastern states. Berlin, Germany – Late last month, Georg Maier, Thuringia’s interior minister, announced that the number of suspected right-wing “extremists” in the eastern German state of 2.1 million people had more than doubled – to almost 2,200. “Even in these relative strongholds of …

Sidelined by rivals, Germany’s far-right AfD bides time
3 years, 4 months ago

Sidelined by rivals, Germany’s far-right AfD bides time

Associated Press  

BERLIN — Immigration is a side issue in this year’s German election campaign, but that hasn’t stopped the country’s biggest far-right party from trying to play it up. “Cologne, Kassel or Konstanz can’t cope with more Kabul,” Alternative for Germany declared on one of its posters ahead of the Sept. 26 election — a reference to the government’s decision to …

Germany records rise in neo-Nazis, far-right extremists in pandemic-hit 2020
3 years, 7 months ago

Germany records rise in neo-Nazis, far-right extremists in pandemic-hit 2020

LA Times  

Police use water cannons to disperse anti-lockdown protesters near the Reichstag in Berlin in November. Authorities in Germany say that the number of far-right extremists in the country increased last year as neo-Nazis sought to join protests against pandemic-related restrictions. German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said Tuesday that authorities counted 33,300 far-right extremists in 2020, an increase of almost 4% …

Alternative for Germany | The party can’t go on
3 years, 10 months ago

Alternative for Germany | The party can’t go on

The Hindu  

For the first time in its post-Nazi history, a political party in Germany is officially under surveillance. Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, also known as the BfV, has classified the far-right Alternative for Germany as a “suspected case” with links to right-wing extremism. The AfD stoked the sense of betrayal felt by many in eastern Germany …

In Germany, racism is becoming more mainstream
4 years, 10 months ago

In Germany, racism is becoming more mainstream

Al Jazeera  

As politicians parrot far-right narratives, it is important to remind Germans of the ills of ethnic hatred. Indeed, since the rise of the far-right, anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim Alternative for Germany party to prominence in the 2017 general election, the racist claim that Germany is facing a “Muslim invasion” and that political elites are refusing to take action to stop this …

Far-Right Mass Shooting Targeting Immigrants in Germany Kills Nine
4 years, 10 months ago

Far-Right Mass Shooting Targeting Immigrants in Germany Kills Nine

Slate  

A gunman opened fire on two hookah bars near Frankfurt Wednesday night, killing nine people in an attack apparently targeting immigrants in the German city. “While violent crime is relatively rare in Germany, the country has experienced a rise in far-right and Islamist terrorism as well as an organized-crime wave,” the Wall Street Journal reports. “According to Germany’s domestic intelligence …

How a former history teacher led a far-right surge in eastern Germany
5 years, 2 months ago

How a former history teacher led a far-right surge in eastern Germany

CNN  

CNN — Just two weeks shy of the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, an election in the east German state of Thuringia has highlighted the deep divisions still gripping the country. Anti-immigrant former history teacher Höcke has previously called Berlin’s Holocaust memorial a “monument of shame.” He is considered an extremist by the country’s intelligence service. …

Far right expected to make gains in German regional vote
5 years, 2 months ago

Far right expected to make gains in German regional vote

Associated Press  

BERLIN — Political opponents say he’s a Nazi and a court recently ruled he can be called a fascist, but to many Germans angry about immigration Bjoern Hoecke is the leader they’ve been waiting for. The vote in Thuringia, one of Germany’s 16 states, reflects the difficulty that mainstream parties have had confronting a politician who openly espouses racial ideology, …

Germany’s Merkel urges crackdown on far-right extremists
5 years, 6 months ago

Germany’s Merkel urges crackdown on far-right extremists

Associated Press  

BERLIN — Chancellor Angela Merkel said the German government is “very, very serious” about fighting far-right extremism that presents “a big challenge for all of us” after a man with anti-migrant views allegedly killed a regional official from Merkel’s party. Far-right extremists “need to be fought from the beginning without any taboo,” Merkel said Saturday at a gathering of Lutheran …

AfD: German intelligence puts extreme far-right groups under surveillance.
6 years ago

AfD: German intelligence puts extreme far-right groups under surveillance.

CNN  

Berlin CNN — Germany’s domestic security agency has said it will put sections of the far-right Alternative for Germany party under surveillance. The country’s Office for the Protection of the Constitution announced Tuesday that it would focus on two elements: the AfD youth wing, “Junge Alternative”, and the party’s far-right politician Björn Höcke and his supporters. Haldenwang said Höcke and …

Germany's Far-Right AfD Party Now Polls Second
6 years, 3 months ago

Germany's Far-Right AfD Party Now Polls Second

NPR  

Germany's Far-Right AfD Party Now Polls Second Enlarge this image toggle caption Jens Meyer/AP Jens Meyer/AP German parliamentary debates tend to be well-tempered, often dreary affairs. Sponsor Message Enlarge this image toggle caption Markus Schreiber/AP Markus Schreiber/AP In last September's elections, the AfD became the first far-right party to win seats in the Bundestag in more than half a century, …

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