신나치 집권 막는 ‘방화벽’ 작동할까…독일서 좌우 막론 반극우 연대 집회

In the eastern German city of Sankt-Anhalt, citizens from various political backgrounds gathered to oppose far-right extremism. This assembly came as the region faces concerns about a potential far-right sole presidency. The citizens demanded that the Nazi sympathizing party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), never regain power. An economist reported that on the 16th, an alternative assembly held in Velbert titled "Beyond Grey: Diversity" was held to oppose AfD.

The assembly aimed to ensure that different opinions and identities coexist in Germany. Members of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Green Party, as well as the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and others, supported the assembly. The Green Party member, Ulrich Sick, urged party members to prioritize democracy over political differences and emphasized the need to prevent far-right extremism from gaining power in a country that committed the Holocaust.

The AfD's popularity surged in the upcoming parliamentary election due to the fear of a far-right government. According to a poll by political research institution Polites, the AfD's support reached 43%. The CDU trailed with 23%, followed by the SPD at 13% and the opposition Green Party at 7%. If the AfD secures a majority of seats, it would be the first time a far-right party would govern Germany without coalitions.

The AfD has become notorious for its anti-immigrant stance, proposing to deport millions of "un-integrated" Germans and establishing a paramilitary "neighbor watch" force. In November 2023, AfD politicians secretly met in a hotel in Frankfurt to discuss their plan to expel hundreds of thousands of non-German citizens, including those with German citizenship, to North Africa.

The AfD's candidate for chancellor, Uli Siggmann, also spoke at the assembly, advocating for controversial policies such as abolishing obligatory education and teaching self-defense instead of emphasizing the dangers of racial discrimination. The far-right party also supports Russian President Vladimir Putin, opposing European Union integration.

The German Interior Ministry classified the AfD as a "unconstitutional far-right extremist organization." The Economist noted that the party's symbols are ambiguous and dangerous, with some former neo-Nazis among its members. The "anti-far-right barricade" will likely determine the future of the AfD's government. This barricade forbids cooperation with the AfD and other parties, disqualifying them from the federal lower house of representatives.

Voter turnout is also a variable factor, with 13% of respondents unsure about their voting choice for the next election. Felix Kolf, co-founder of the Compact political movement, told dpa news that "there is considerable potential among democratic parties" that are not the AfD.