Summary
Alternative for Germany (AfD), a far-right party founded in 2013, is poised for its strongest national election result yet in Germany.
Initially focused on eurozone bailouts, AfD shifted its focus to migration, gaining significant support and entering parliament in 2017.
The party, now advocating for large-scale deportations and opposing support for Ukraine, has become a significant political force, particularly in eastern Germany, and is under observation for suspected right-wing extremism.
No, that’s just the scapegoat. Neither the number of immigrants, nor the number of illegal immigrants, nor the crime rate among immigrants are especially high right now.
All of these numbers are currently lower (in Germany) than 10, 20 or 30 years ago.
I think maybe I was unclear. I believe that much of the shift rightward is because migrants are an ideal boogyman. They’re a natural target for nationalists, and liberals are largely apathetic.
As late stage capitalism, automation, and outsourcing create greater and greater economic precarity, the far right has a perfect opportunity to enter the mainstream by giving voice to two of the biggest unspoken concerns that many politically disengaged voters relate to but often feel pressured not to talk about.
The fascists say, ‘your life is worse! And your neighborhood has changed ethnically! And we have a whole explanation for all your problems that the people in charge are trying to suppress! Lol at how aggressively they try and prevent us from saying these things!’
And the dominant liberal order can’t say ‘It’s not what it looks like! The rich are actually just taking advantage of you, and those migrants are just the earliest victims of climate change and greed!’
The truth is that migrants don’t drive down wages: criminalizing migrants does. And given enough time, you could be a migrant too. That’s the thing I’d like more folks to know.