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Key Points
- Germany is holding a national election on Sunday 23 February.
- Germany’s mainstream political parties have lost support while the far-right AfD gained ground in one of the last polls published before the election.
- With all parties refusing to work with the AfD, the poll suggests it will be near impossible for any two of the other parties to form a majority.
He’ll almost certainly be re-elected, probably by a larger margin than last time.
AfD candidate Steffen Janich told SBS News his party’s immigration policies are similar to Australia’s. Source: SBS News / Ben Lewis
Most of his stump speech is not particularly controversial, discussing wind farms (locals don’t like them) and jobs (locals want more of them).
“I think you have a very restrictive immigration policy too.”
‘I don’t see any alternative’
“We are the generation who have to keep this country alive, like our parents do now, and with the other parties I don’t see any alternative,” Jacob explains.
Jacob says he doesn’t see any alternative to voting for AfD in Germany’s election. Source: SBS News / Ben Lewis
Nearby is Katarina, a 30-year-old teacher.
“If people like me, having common sense thinking, are wrong, then I’m a Nazi too. What else can I say, it’s total crap.”
Katarina says it’s “total crap” to call the AfD extremists. Source: SBS News / Ben Lewis
The anti-Islam, anti-migration AfD has called for borders to be closed and asylum seekers to no longer have the right to family reunification.
Some senior AfD members have gone further in their comments and were present at discussions among far-right activists about deporting millions of people of foreign origin, including German citizens.
Grannies Against the Right
They call themselves ‘Omas Gegen Rechts’ (Grannies Against the Right).
Grannies Against the Right demonstrated against right-wing extremism at the Domshof in Germany’s Bremen earlier this month. Source: DPA / picture alliance/dpa/picture alliance via Getty I
Tamanna Heyken is concerned the lessons of history are being ignored.
“All the time I said no I’m too old, I’ll not do anything about this, but now I have the feeling I have to before the world goes down. Everywhere the fascists come up once more.”
Tamanna Heyken is part of the Grannnies Against the Right group campaigning against the rise of support for far-right policies in Germany. Source: SBS News / Ben Lewis
The grandmothers’ message is a hard sell here in Saxony, an AfD stronghold.
“I don’t know why, I didn’t live in that time!”
And that worries many younger voters, the majority of whom remain against the AfD.
Luk and Louis are casting their first votes in Germany’s election. Source: SBS News / Ben Lewis
‘Populism is a real problem’
A singer performs an off-key version of a popular far-right song, which mocks Antifa protestors. Everyone seems to know the words. There’s beer, bratwurst and big hopes for the future.
“There are enough people standing up for democracy and diversity, including me.”
