Germany

The Local: The AfD has taken the CDU’s place on the right of center…….


Pretty much…

They are not ‘far-right’, but as much of a classical liberal party you’ll get in Europe these days.

‘The AfD have taken the place of Merkel’s CDU on the right of German politics’

 

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) caused an earthquake in the German political landscape by taking 12.6 percent of the vote in the national election on Sunday. The Local spoke to Germans who see the party as a force for good.

“Honestly speaking, on several occasions I reviewed my conscience and asked myself whether this party was actually radically right-wing before I decided it wasn’t,” Berlin native Martin admits.

 

He says he has concerns that extremists might take over the party and adds that he doesn’t like it when their supporters “go too far and start screaming for asylum seekers to get out.”

 

Nonetheless, refugees were at the forefront of his mind when he entered the polling booth and put a cross next to the AfD. He describes the government’s decision to open German borders to refugees in the late summer of 2015 as leading to “uncontrolled migration” that has allowed “terrorists, murderers and rapists” into the country. He also states his belief that many people who came to the country weren’t really fleeing from persecution.

 

“Merkel should have at least got authorization from the German parliament before opening the border,” he says. “Instead she did her thing without any debate or coordination with German citizens. The controlled and orderly distribution of migrants to all EU countries from the outset subsequently didn’t happen.”

 

It is dangerous to make generalizations about what makes a typical AfD voter. Studies show that stereotypes about them being poor or badly educated don’t bear much relation to reality.

 

More here.

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