Weimer warns: Political cohesion is the key against extremism!

Weimer warns: Political cohesion is the key against extremism!

At a time when political tensions and social unrest dominate the headlines, Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer (non-party) urgently appeals to Germany's political center to show more cohesion. In his statements, Weimer emphasizes that he feels closer to the Social Democrats and the Greens than to the AfD and emphasizes the importance of arguments in democracy. According to the minister, resentment and anti-democratic tendencies represent a serious threat that must be combated. “The differences in the political center are becoming less important in view of the global challenges,” said Weimer in an interview with Radio Köln.

The global political situation is increasingly characterized by authoritarianism and nationalism - Weimer observes this not only in his home country, but also in major world powers such as China, Russia, India and the USA. In these countries, people's freedoms are being attacked, which is also causing concern in Germany. Weimer, who was previously editor-in-chief of several media outlets and is known as the author of books such as “The Conservative Manifesto,” describes the current political landscape as challenging.

Dissatisfaction and longing for the past

However, there is deep and widespread dissatisfaction with current democracy among the population, particularly in the eastern German states. A representative study by the Else Frenkel Brunswik Institute at the University of Leipzig shows that less than half of East Germans are satisfied with their everyday life in a democracy. A large majority feel that they have no political influence and around 50% of those surveyed want a “strong party” that embodies the “national community”. In addition, 25% identify as losers from the change, while less than 50% see themselves as winners. These developments are alarming and show the longing for authoritarian structures that is expressed by many respondents, as the EFBI reports.

Less than two-thirds believe that political engagement makes sense, and many are concerned about the deep-rooted conspiracy mentality and authoritarian aggressiveness that are widespread in East German society. While agreement with right-wing extremist statements is high in these regions, a high level of satisfaction with life in the former GDR was also found. Almost 70 percent of respondents say they are happy to have experienced the GDR themselves, and support for the call for a single strong party is between 50 and 53 percent, as Tagesschau notes.

The role of the AfD in the current political climate

The political attitudes in East Germany show that the AfD could play a role in popular perception, but these right-wing movements do not come out of nowhere, but are rooted in existing social views. Around a third of those surveyed with a closed right-wing extremist worldview see the AfD as attractive. The study shows that around 50% of AfD supporters have right-wing extremist views, a worrying trend that highlights the challenges to the democratic structure.

Weimer and other voices in the political center now have to face the challenge that politics is not only shaped by social and political arguments, but also by the need to reach out to people in the longingly viewed past. Because while democracy should be respected, satisfaction with it is the key to stability and overcoming the challenges of the future.