Summary
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser criticized the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) for politicizing last week’s Magdeburg Christmas market attack, where a car drove into crowds, killing 5 and injuring over 200.
Faeser condemned the AfD’s rally, attended by 3,500 people, as exploiting victims’ suffering ahead of February snap elections.
The 50-year-old suspect, Taleb A., a Saudi-born German resident since 2006, is in custody.
Investigators are examining his motives, noting his criticism of Islam and prior support for the AfD.
I find this kind of approach is bizarre and increasingly out of date. “don’t politicise an attack” but the attack raises very important political questions.
Parties shying away from the discussion are just giving free space for Afd to push it’s narrative and version of how to deal with the problems. Other parties in Germany, and across the West, need to start dealing with this issue head on - the idea of a some central mass consensus is breaking down because it is not offering any solutions to the problems being raised by such attacks.
Lots of far right parties are rising across Europe and instead of blaming voters, politicians need to listen and start address the problems instead of allowing the extreme end of politics to come in and offer extreme solutions.
The “mainstream” parties need to start addressing immigration, integration and social cohesion. There are not going to be easy solutions, but stop leaving such topics for the far rightt wing parties to offer the only solutions.
Complaining Afd are “exploiting” the attacks is weak and a failure of leadership from the other parties to tackle the actual issues.
That, and use the power the people have given you to make things better for the people. Not corporations or GDP but what your people need to feel happier.
None of them offer solutions. Just screaming bullshit.