“They see him as a fighter for their interests, someone who speaks their language and stands up to the establishment.”
For many east Germans, the AfD represents a voice for their frustrations and grievances, a party that promises to listen to their concerns and fight for their interests. And as long as those frustrations and grievances remain unaddressed, the AfD is likely to continue to gain support in the east.
As the east-west divide in Germany deepens, the challenge for political leaders will be to bridge that gap and address the underlying issues that are driving support for parties like the AfD. Only by addressing those issues can Germany truly achieve unity and reconciliation between east and west.
“It’s classic populism — the party just tries to discredit the institution involved, be it the courts or domestic intelligence.” A strategy, he added, that seems to work with voters.
Some AfD officials worry the party as a whole could be banned in Germany. Stefan Möller, its co-leader in Thuringia, says that won’t be the end of the story. “The AfD is immortal,” he told the FT. “In the east at least.”
La estrategia es un clásico populista: el partido simplemente intenta desacreditar la institución involucrada, ya sea los tribunales o la inteligencia interna. Una estrategia que, según él, parece funcionar con los votantes.
Algunos funcionarios de AfD se preocupan de que el partido en su conjunto pueda ser prohibido en Alemania. Stefan Möller, su co-líder en Turingia, dice que ese no será el final de la historia. “AfD es inmortal”, dijo a FT. “Al menos en el este”.