"The AfD aims for a 'cultural battle' styled after Trump to attract more voters"
In the heart of Europe, Germany's political landscape is experiencing a shift, with the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party embracing a divisive strategy reminiscent of former US President Donald Trump's approach. This tactic, aimed at deepening societal divisions and fostering culture wars, seeks to position the AfD as the leader of a "bourgeois conservative" camp against the "radical left."
At the forefront of this strategy is the targeting of the socialist party Die Linke, which serves as a foil to fuel intense political polarization. The AfD's intention is to break the mainstream parties' informal pact to isolate the party, known as the "Brandmauer" or firewall, thereby legitimizing the AfD as a coalition partner or even positioning their leader, Alice Weidel, as a potential chancellor.
The AfD's polarising issues include culture wars on identity politics, immigration, and nationalism. By exploiting these sensitive topics, the party hopes to provoke anger and division, with the aim of alienating centrist voters and cementing their appeal among conservative and working-class voters.
This divisive approach has proven effective, as the AfD has significantly increased its support in the polls. In the February 2025 federal election, the party doubled its vote share to approximately 20%, making it the second-largest party in Germany. Despite this growth, other parties continue to refuse coalitions with the AfD, preserving their outsider status.
However, this rise in popularity has not gone unnoticed and has prompted intense scrutiny. Germany's domestic intelligence services have officially classified the AfD as a "definitely right-wing extremist" party due to anti-constitutional rhetoric and actions by officials. This classification has fuelled debates about banning the party, adding uncertainty to its political future.
Political scientist Johannes Hillje suggests that there is no pronounced desire for social division in Germany, but the AfD continues to pursue this strategy. AfD politician Beatrix von Storch is particularly concerned about losing voters to the Union, under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has been focusing on migration policy to win back voters. The Union has been advocating for tougher border controls, more deportations, and benefit cuts for refugees.
Economic policy will also be a major theme for the AfD, with the party promising to lead the economy out of crisis. In an interview with the "New York Times," von Storch suggested that voters might move to the Union if Merz enacts tougher migration policies.
In conclusion, the AfD's strategy, modelled on Trump's approach, is based on maintaining political division. However, critics argue that the party's rise is also a product of ineffective opposition strategies and broader societal discontent. The future of the AfD remains uncertain, with calls for its ban debated amidst its growing poll numbers.
- Amidst the rising political tensions in Germany, the casino-culture and gambling sector has become a new battlefield, with the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party advocating for stricter regulations and increased control.
- Concurrently, the mainstream media, under the general-news umbrella, has escalated its coverage of the AfD's rise, often focusing on war-and-conflicts and crime-and-justice issues associated with their policies.
- In response to the AfD's growing influence, the Union party, under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, has strategically adopted a policy-and-legislation stance on migration, mirroring the casino-and-gambling-like tactics of the AfD, aiming to win back centrist voters.
- Despite the AfD's divisive stance and increasing support, the party's future remains uncertain, as ongoing discussions about banning the party continue to dominate political debates, exacerbating the existing culture wars.
- As the election nears, the political landscape of Germany is shaping up to be a fierce competition between the AfD's casino-culture-inspired strategies and the Union's nuanced approach to migration policy, both hoping to capture the disenchanted voters amidst the backdrop of war-and-conflicts and societal tensions.
