Crisis in Germany evokes resistance against the neo-Nazi far right

The recent political crisis in Germany and the growth of the extreme right are provoking a series of reactions and movements by parties, anti-fascist movements and other organized civil society groups, which seek to strengthen the “cordon sanitaire” against neo-Nazism.

The tragedy in Magdeburg, where an attack on a Christmas market left five dead and dozens injured, intensified debates about the advancement of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) on the political scene.

The episode not only highlighted the political exploitation of a tragedy by Alice Weidel’s party, but also catalyzed reactions from civil society and democratic forces seeking to isolate the party from Nazi ideology.

At a rally in Magdeburg, the AfD leader quickly linked the attack to immigration policies, reinforcing her rhetoric of hatred and exclusion against minority groups in the country.

In his speech, Weidel used the episode as a tool to garner support in the midst of the February election campaign, which is already shaping up to be one of the most polarized in the country’s recent history.

She stated that “the attack is evidence of the collapse of immigration policies in Germany” and that the country needs to “regain control over who enters and stays on our territory.”

Investigations after the attack revealed, however, that the perpetrator, Taleb al Abdulmohsen, a 50-year-old Saudi psychiatrist, showed sympathy for the AfD’s anti-immigration policies. Although she was not an official member of the party, her public statements and internet activities indicated alignment with Alice Weidel’s ideas.

Resident in Germany since 2006, Al Abdulmohsen was known for his Islamophobic positions and criticism of Islam, having declared himself an ex-Muslim.

Cynically, the AfD denied any link with the perpetrator of the attack and repudiated his actions. However, the incident sparked debate about the party’s rhetoric and its potential impact on the radicalization of individuals with extremist views.

CDU in a historical dilemma

While the tragedy in Magdeburg raised alarms about the growth of the far right in Germany, the behavior of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) revealed internal divisions within the party favored to win the February elections and a path towards a possible weakening of the “cordon sanitaire”. ” against the AfD.

Friedrich Merz, leader of the CDU, fueled the controversy by defending legislative changes to toughen up the fight against crimes like the one that occurred in Magdeburg. In a statement published on social media, Merz stated that “the images of Magdeburg never leave my head” and defended legislative changes to deal with “individuals considered dangerous”.

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The German press interprets the speech as a nod to the AfD electorate, especially in the midst of the campaign for February’s parliamentary elections.

Former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party is the leader in voting intention polls and has been discussing rapprochement with the AfD for some time.

Merkel is part of the wing that rejects any dialogue with the extreme right, but has seen supporters embrace the discourse that institutionalized political forces need to have normalized relations with the AfD, since they represent a large share of the German electorate. This division threatens to erode the historic barrier that has isolated the far-right party from the German political mainstream.

Research indicates growth of the AfD, albeit insufficient

Germany is going through a political crisis after the coalition of Social Democratic Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD, its acronym in German) collapsed and the president lost the vote of confidence in the Bundestag, the country’s lower house.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier dissolved the Bundestag last Friday and called early elections for February 23, 2025.

Polls indicate that the opposition led by Friedrich Merz, of the CDU, is ahead, while Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) is in third place, behind the AfD. According to a poll aggregator from Politico, the CDU scores with 30%, the AfD with 19% and the SPD with 17%.

The fight for democracy

While democratic parties, such as the SPD and the Greens, reinforce their commitment to keeping the AfD isolated, the current scenario exposes the challenges of a democracy pressured by social, economic and ideological tensions. In response, German society seeks to articulate broad resistance, from street protests to debates in parliament, to preserve the democratic values ​​achieved after the Second World War.

The attack in Magdeburg and its aftermath are a reminder that the fight against extremism is not just a historical issue, but a constant battle in the present. Germany, once again, is faced with a choice: give in to fear or reaffirm its commitment to democracy.

And there are good signs of this: one day after the attack in Magdeburg, in a football match played between Rot-Weiss Essen and Stuttgart II, valid for the third national division, a neo-Nazi reaction during the minute of silence in honor of the victims was abruptly resisted .

A huge part of the crowd erupted with chants of “Nazis out!” and transformed the stadium into a space to repudiate the far right after a fan shouted “Germany for the Germans”, in a clear Nazi motto. The fan was ejected and banned for life from Rot-Weiss games. The club issued a statement repudiating the neo-Nazi’s attitude.