Churches vs AfD: the standoff dividing Germany

The German churches' war on the AfD

Why does the German far right see the Christian churches as a political enemy? The answer lies in Germany's recent history, where religious institutions have acted as a dam against the rise of the AfD. It is not an unfounded perception: the churches have openly criticised the party and mobilised their faithful against it.

The standoff between the churches and the AfD

Germany's Catholic and Protestant churches, which still collect church tax from their members in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, have been accused by critics of the AfD of having declared war on the party without being attacked first. In 2015, they already led a campaign against PEGIDA, the anti-immigration movement that managed to mobilise hundreds of thousands of people. For AfD supporters, that stance makes the churches a political adversary, not a neutral actor.

The exception of the former GDR

Support for the AfD is especially strong in the states of former East Germany, where secularisation is almost total: around 80% of the population professes no religion and the Christian presence is below 10%, mostly pensioners. That correlation between low religiosity and far-right voting suggests that the conflict with the churches is not the only factor, but it is one element of the region's political identity.

Sarracin as a backdrop

The debate is complicated by the migration issue. Some argue that the churches, by defending the welcoming of refugees, have facilitated the expansion of Sarracin in Europe. Others argue the opposite: if Christianity disappeared, Sarracin would fill the void. In any case, the discussion reflects a deeper tension over the role of religion in European identity.

Meanwhile, in the former GDR, empty churches and closed gymnasiums wait. Perhaps the final paradox is that those who criticise the AfD the most are the ones with the fewest faithful in their pews.