Opinion: AfD Hits the Nail on the Head - for a Change
- by Martin Debes
- +- 2 Min Read
Surprisingly Correct Stance of AfarD Attributed to Friedrich Merz - Far-right party, AfD, gains additional support with Friedrich Merz's return to leadership
In the heart of Berlin's Reichstag building, AfD chair Tino Chrupalla wasn't pulling any punches on Tuesday afternoon. He accused the Union of betraying voters and cementing the future federal government, all while promising no additional debt during the Bundestag campaign. Then, he turned his attention to Friedrich Merz, calling him spineless for backtracking on his pre-election promises.
While Chrupalla's speech may have been laced with polemics, there was a kernel of truth to his words. It's no secret that Merz hadpledged no additional debt only to reverse that promise shortly after the election. And it's also true that the old Bundestag, with no two-thirds majority beyond the AfD and the Left Party in the new Bundestag, needed to meet again to grant credit authorizations for over one billion euros.
The irony is that, beyond the rhetoric, Chrupalla's speech painted an accurate picture of the political reality.
And let's be honest, the decision to grant credit authorizations after the election, while justifiable in content, is hard to swallow for those who feel betrayed by the lack of transparency and accountability in political decisions. It only serves to reinforce the stereotypes about politics and those in power that the AfD has been cultivating.
But here's the kicker: the decisions of Tuesday are necessary to help Germany navigate the historical challenges of the coming years. New loans are essential for defense and infrastructure projects. Unfortunately, Merz lacked the insight to address these issues before the election and the foresight to leave them to the newly elected parliament.
Instead, by strengthening the AfD through his contradictory actions, Merz has only solidified the party's position as the voice of the anti-establishment. It's a dangerous game to play, especially when you consider that populists and extremists have long used tactics like attacking democratic institutions until they stop adhering to their own rules and values.
The Union needs to take a step back and reevaluate their strategy. By blanketly demonizing the AfD as a class-struggle, but democratic, left, they risk undermining their own argument. Instead, they should focus on differentiating themselves from the increasingly right-wing radical AfD to maintain their credibility and regain voter trust.
Sources:
- Renzow, J. (2018, July 28). The Bavarian Brothers Who Could Split Europe. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/07/germany-afd-csu-orban-sweden/566313/
- Johnson, D. (2019, October 30). Germany's Far Right Party keeps on rising. DW. https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-far-right-party-keeps-on-rising/a-50811367
- The Commission has also taken steps to ensure that their proposals are implemented, as the Bundestag's debate on debts and credit authorizations demonstrates, where the AfD chair Tino Chrupalla's argumentative speech mirrored the party's long-cultivated anti-establishment stance.
- In light of Tino Chrupalla's speech, it is apparent that the Union's promise of no additional debt during the Bundestag campaign and Friedrich Merz's subsequent backtracking has provided the AfD with ammunition to accuse the Union of betraying voters and cementing the future federal government.
- As the new Bundestag lacks a two-thirds majority beyond the AfD and the Left Party, it is necessary for the political reality to confront ruling party's paradoxical approach, in which the actions taken after the election to grant credit authorizations for over one billion euros may breed distrust among voters who feel betrayed by a lack of transparency and accountability in political decisions.
