Concern is growing among Democrats with a view to the 2024 election year. Surveys see the AfD as the strongest force in some countries. Former constitutional judge Voßkuhle considers Western democracy to be at risk. The SPD and CDU also warn.
With a view to the upcoming elections in East Germany, the former President of the Federal Constitutional Court, Andreas Voßkuhle, has warned of the consequences of a breakthrough by the AfD. “The AfD, as the strongest faction in one or more state parliaments, would transform Germany’s political landscape. The political leaders of this party are aiming for a fundamental change in the system,” he told the “Tagesspiegel”.
It will not be easy to prevent the AfD from becoming the strongest force.
Democracy on the brink?
Against this background, Voßkuhle believes that the continued existence of democracy in Germany is not guaranteed. The report quoted him as saying: “It may well be that our Western democracy will prove to be only a brief phase in the history of humanity – similar to the Athenian democracy – and then the dark age of totalitarianism will return again.” Anyone who doesn’t want that should get involved in democracy.
AfD strongest force in surveys
The state parliaments in Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg will be re-elected in September next year. In all three countries, the AfD is currently by far the strongest force in surveys; in Thuringia and Saxony it has 34 to 35 percent. Before that, there are European elections on June 9th and local elections are expected in nine out of 16 federal states. In Saxony and Thuringia, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution classifies the AfD as definitely right-wing extremist.
For CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann it is clear: his party will not work with the AfD. “There is no cooperation, no coalition, no matter where,” said Linnemann. With regard to the “firewall” against the AfD that the CDU has invoked, he emphasized: “It stands.”
We have to fight in the middle between the parties, then the edges will be weakened rather than strengthened.
Klingbeil: Take everyday worries seriously
SPD chairman Lars Klingbeil was also concerned. He sees approval for the AfD and the upcoming elections as “big challenges”.
We have to work hard to make the AfD smaller and the democratic parties larger, he told the “Böhme-Zeitung”. “The best way to do this is to solve the tasks set before us and take people’s everyday concerns seriously.” This ranges from affordable energy to good daycare and good care.
The AfD is a very dangerous party because it agitates, polarizes and wants to divide this country.
For Klingbeil: “Anyone who takes responsibility in the AfD and applies for a state or federal parliamentary mandate is, in my opinion, a convinced right-wing extremist.” This is clear from the party’s program content. “But when citizens tell me at the information stand that they would now vote for the AfD because they are angry with the democratic parties, they are not immediately right-wing.” He wants to win back these disappointed citizens politically.
Maier: “Democrats must face the fight”
Thuringia’s Interior Minister Georg Maier (SPD) said about the situation in his country: “The right-wing extremists of the AfD around Björn Höcke are trying to undermine democracy from the inside using all means possible.” Höcke is the AfD state leader and parliamentary group leader in the Thuringian state parliament. Maier told the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”: “We Democrats have to face the fight for which we are still ill-equipped.”
“Weatherproof the Constitution”
The SPD politician campaigned for the article on the election of the Prime Minister to be clarified in the state constitution. In his view, the current wording does not exclude a candidate from being elected in the third round with a single vote, even though all other MPs voted against him. “We have to make the constitution weatherproof,” said Maier.
The deputy AfD federal chairman Stephan Brandner, who comes from Thuringia, criticized precisely this effort. He said that “the constitution should be bent here because the old parties are very afraid of losing their positions and their influence.” It is frightening what means the Interior Minister is prepared to use to circumvent the will of the voters. “Here you can see who the real undemocrats and enemies of the constitution are,” explained Brandner.