Germany, Sweden and Malaysia: When the political centre begins to tilt right — Phar Kim Beng
SEPT 12 — The rise of the far right in Germany and Sweden cannot simply be explained as a sudden outbreak of...
On September 12, the far-right political movement gained traction in Germany and Sweden due to a growing perception that mainstream politics was no longer addressing concerns about migration, welfare, identity, security, and social change. In Malaysia, the political situation is different, but the underlying mechanism of mainstream politics gradually shifting towards more extreme positions is increasingly relevant.
Germany's Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, once confined to the political margins, just won the Saxony-Anhalt state election, securing 39 of the state parliament's 83 seats and capturing 44% of the votes. The party's strength has made it difficult to maintain the traditional German political firewall. The refugee crisis, migration, and the Ukraine war have altered public perceptions of borders, citizenship, and welfare state responsibilities.
Europe's Schengen system, which abolishes internal border controls, compounds this political sensitivity, as citizens may interpret freedom of movement as a loss of control. Sweden, once associated with social democracy and humanitarian internationalism, has seen its politics move towards immigration, integration, and crime issues.
The Sweden Democrats have moved from political isolation into becoming a key part of the right-wing bloc, and Sweden has tightened migration policies. Malaysia is experiencing its own rightward shift, driven by intense competition over Malay-Muslim political identity. As mainstream parties fear losing their core constituencies, they adopt more extreme positions to prevent supporters from defecting, leading to a dangerous cycle of political shift.
Written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
