The rise of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has rattled the German political class especially because it is now performing better in national polls than all three governing parties. Baffled and alarmed by the anti-Muslim immigration AfD’s growing popularity, many in the German mainstream have decided there is only one solution to their AfD problem: ban the party outright.
National Post The clamour to ban the AfD has now become deafening. At the weekend, anti-AfD rallies were held in over 100 towns and cities across Germany. One in Potsdam, just outside of Berlin, was attended by chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Strikingly, all those campaigning for a ban claim to be doing so in the name of democracy. Last year, German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier delivered an astonishing speech in which he claimed that Germany has “it in our hands to put those who despise democracy back in their place.” Although he did not name the AfD or call explicitly for it to be banned, the implications were clear.
The problems with this approach ought to be obvious. It assumes that the elites should decide which ideas and parties are acceptable on the electorate’s behalf — in order to “save” democracy from the errant public. What’s more, even outright extremists can only be defeated through open contestation, not state censorship.
The calls to ban the AfD also show us how easily the concept of “defensive democracy” can be used to clamp down on parties the elite simply doesn’t like.
Far from heralding the end of democracy, many voters are turning to the AfD precisely because of Germany’s lack of democratic representation. Some 77 per cent of German voters feel they have no power over what the government does. Much of the growing support for the AfD is down to the failures of the political establishment and its refusal to even address key issues, especially mass Muslim immigration.
In their clamour to ban the AfD, the German elites have revealed themselves to be the real threat to German democracy. Perhaps it’s no wonder that so many voters are desperate to find an alternative.
In a recent video, Germans with a migration background share their reasons for supporting the country’s sole conservative political party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), now Germany’s second most popular party. Their motivations are straightforward: they harbor deep concerns about the significant influx of Muslim asylum seekers, which they believe has resulted in heightened insecurity on the streets. Moreover, they advocate for a shift in government focus towards prioritizing the welfare of German citizens.
The AfD is the only classical European party on the German political spectrum, advocating for family values, securing borders, stopping mass Musim immigration, and preserving Germany as a nation-state. This stance aligns with sentiments reminiscent of President Trump’s presidency in the United States.
RAIR Foundation AfD co-chair Alice Weidel says: “Together, we stand for freedom and the rule of law to preserve and protect our beautiful homeland against uncontrolled mass Muslim immigration.”
In a recent interview with the online news portal Nius, Dr. Alice Weidel, co-leader of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, shared her candid thoughts on the multifaceted challenges of mass immigration to Germany. Weidel passionately delved into her concerns about the social, cultural, and economic implications of the ongoing influx of migrants, mainly from Muslim-majority regions.
Expressing deep concerns about the rise in violent crimes due to mass-Islamic migration, including gang rapes and knife crime, Weidel urged a frank discussion about the origins of such criminality. “We had 789 gang rapes in this country in the past year, two a day,” stressed the leader. “They bring this affinity for violence with them.”
The conversation opened with a stark portrayal of the current situation on German streets, with Weidel underscoring the presence of aggressive Muslims, antisemites, and jihadis advocating for a caliphate, particularly in Essen. Reacting to these images, Weidel emphatically stated, “This is a big sobering up. Something like that shouldn’t be happening.”
Weidel then addressed accusations of discrimination, responding to critics who claim her references to “headscarf-girls” and “knifemen” are anti-Muslim. Drawing from her own experiences growing up in Islamized Harsewinkel, Weidel vividly recounted instances of insults from Muslim boys at outdoor pools, condemning such behavior as misogynistic. She argued, “The mass influx contradicts the principles of a liberal democratic constitution and equal rights for women.”
She emphasized the stark contradiction between the touted welcoming leftist culture and the harsh reality, stating, ‘That is, to put it plainly, the welcoming culture and rainbows and all that is such a contradiction in itself.’ Weidel highlighted the paradox of embracing individuals who, in their home countries, practice Sharia law, which she explains is inherently discriminatory, especially against homosexuals. She stressed the urgency of acknowledging these contradictions and engaging in open discussions about the potential consequences of unchecked migration and cultural clashes.
When questioned about the possibility of restricting immigration from Muslim-majority regions, Weidel acknowledged the need for caution. Suggesting an attitude test during the naturalization process rather than a blanket ban, she emphasized, “Ultimately, during the naturalization process, it should actually become clear whom we are dealing with, whether we want to naturalize these people or not.”
Due to the party’s popularity, left-wing political and media elites have launched vicious, violent, and dangerous campaigns to delegitimize AfD members and voters, resorting to labels such as agitators, arsonists, far-right extremists, fascists, Nazis, homophobes, and xenophobes. The party, its politicians, and particularly its leader, Dr. Alice Weidel, face constant violent threats and attempts by the state to undermine and criminalize their party.
Turning to the critical issue of integration, Weidel rejected the notion that a lack of a welcoming culture in Germany is responsible for the attitudes of migrants. She emphasized, “Integration means the state must demand something of these people and not only support them with tax money from the German population.” Weidel pointed out the strain on social systems, stressing the need for the state to address sustainability issues arising from the massive influx.
The party’s rise was fueled by public discontent over Angela Merkel’s decision to admit over a million predominantly Muslim migrants, causing security concerns and a surge in violent and deadly crimes. Voters, disillusioned with mainstream and left-wing parties, have increasingly embraced the AfD, making it the second most popular party.
What’s more, while the party is being smeared as Nazis, Jews in Germany have stopped supporting antisemitic left-wing parties and have flocked to the AfD. A board member for the party’s Jewish branch stated that AfD is the party that stands against anti-Semitism and fights for the Jewish community in Germany.
The AfD is the only party standing up to “imported antisemitism” as unchecked migration from Muslim-majority countries has flooded the country, putting Jews at risk.
Andrew Blackadder says
The AfD are 100% against the islamic religion as this religion seems rather similar to nazism.
The AfD are 100% in support of the State of Israel.
So the idiots that wish to ban the AfD are the very people that wish to bring into Germany millions of people from a religion that teaches them to hate and kill Jews.
Go figure that one out…
islamism is the new nazism.
Hartmut says
SPD party chief: ‘We won’t resign, we are on a mission!’
Which means they are dead set on staying in power for as long as the country is irreversibly destroyed. They surely have and will further bend the legal system to the point of illegality.
And this included ridding any serious opposition, starting with the AFD. And they won’t halt there, the CDU is next.
DavidW says
Sounds like the new “Nazis” are upset that there is a political party that refuses to go along with their goal of destroying Germany.
BareNakedIslam says
Sure does. And following Saul Alinsky’s “Rules for Radicals,” they are accusing the opposition of being everything that they are.
Daniel Erbstoesser says
Here you can see jow the socialist is. They will cancel the AFD and they will track all down that want to vote for the AFD. They will do all to keep their program of destruction going and nothing can stop them anymore then they sit in all institutions and the many nwo,ngos and the media. The media sets lies into the world and no one checks the lie then the media here dont lie. Do you all notice how things are getting harder and tighter?, that is what ive been writting about and this will get way worse. Oh just for the record, the AFD has since the beginning a Jewish chapter and it also has an auslander chapter. That the AFD is raccistic is bullshit and allways was but the media here can say all they want and the court here did not let the AFD bring any proof or whatever but the others well they said alot without proof and in the end the AFD is rightwing national nazi and whatever. That is how it works here in the best germany ever.
Riseanshine says
“Government figures don’t reflect true scope of anti-Muslim sentiment, says head of Central Council of Muslims”. You got that right!