MAGDEBURG, Germany (Reuters) – Thousands of individuals took to the streets in protest against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) over the weekend. The demonstrations coincided with the party’s convention, where candidates for the upcoming European parliamentary elections next year were selected.
Protesters gathered outside the conference venue in the city of Magdeburg, carrying banners with messages such as “stand together against right-wing hate” and “Nazis out.”
Despite polling at 22%, trailing behind the opposition conservatives, the AfD staunchly denies being a Nazi party. Analysts believe that the party has tapped into voters’ concerns regarding recession, migration, and the green transition.
In a recent development, the AfD won a vote for a district leader for the first time and is predicted to secure victory in three upcoming state elections in east Germany. However, the party’s rise has raised alarm within the domestic intelligence service concerning potential extremism.
“Germany has recognized that the right is the future,” stated Alice Weidel, the leader of AfD, in an interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica. “The voices are growing louder.”
According to the AfD, their vision for Europe involves “sovereign nation states rather than an EU superstate” and emphasizes the importance of “free citizens instead of paternalism and bureaucratic control.”
Nevertheless, any inclination for mainstream parties to align with the far-right can have unintended consequences. Friedrich Merz, the leader of the Christian Democrats (CDU), was compelled to retract his comments suggesting the possibility of cooperation with the AfD at a local level. Merz quickly clarified that there would be no collaboration whatsoever with the AfD, following criticism from his own party members.
Among the demonstrators in Magdeburg, the “Grannies against the far-right” group made their voices heard, advocating for an end to racism and far-right politics.
(Reporting by Maria Martinez and Oliver Denzer; Additional reporting by Alvise Armellini; Editing by Giles Elgood)
Credit: The Star : News Feed
