Political shocks: Kowalczuk warns of an authoritarian wave in Germany

Political shocks: Kowalczuk warns of an authoritarian wave in Germany

The historian Ilko-Sascha Kowalczuk urgently warns of the worrying political developments in Germany, especially in the eastern German states. In an interview with NDR, he explains that the election results of the recent state elections in Brandenburg, Thuringia and Saxony point to an alarming trend. The AfD continued to gain 29.2 percent in Brandenburg, while the SPD only narrowly became the strongest party. Kowalczuk emphasizes that these elections represent “a worrying confirmation” of his fears, as the AfD was elected to the state parliament as the strongest faction in Thuringia and many voters support authoritarian structures. In his drastic words, he expressly expresses his concern about the threat to democracy and freedom in Germany, “which are more threatened than they have been in decades,” since almost half of the voters voted for populist and authoritarian parties ndr.de reported.

The roots of the problem

Kowalczuk explains that the fears in society, especially in the East, result from a “double transformation overload”. These fears have been heightened by the digital revolution and globalization, leading many people to look for easy solutions offered by populist parties. This dynamic means that emotions play an essential role among voters and significantly shape politics. “People are carrying incredible anger with them,” said Kowalczuk, “even though things are doing better economically in the East than ever before.” The mental image of the East as an oppressed area does not do justice to reality, yet the perception of injustice remains strong, as he makes clear. Kowalczuk's statements make it clear that the success of the AfD and similarly oriented parties has deeper socio-cultural causes that urgently need to be addressed, although he also speaks out against collaboration with the extremists kleinezeitung.at reported.