The threat is real (El Correo editorial)
The far right's triumph in Saxony has shaken Germany, the EU's main economic engine. What lies behind this surge and what does it mean for Europe?
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
The rise of the far right in Germany, exemplified by the results in Saxony, reveals a real threat to European democracy. The causes appear to be linked to social and economic discontent, but the answers must not lie in hatred.
## The upheaval in Saxony
The recent election result in **Saxony**, where the far-right **Alternative for Germany (AfD)** has won massive support, has set off alarm bells at the heart of Europe. We are talking about **44% of the vote**, a figure that not only shakes the foundations of the conservative **CDU** party, but also raises serious doubts about the strength of the democratic "firewalls" built after the Second World War. That a party with a clearly xenophobic and anti-European discourse stands on the verge of governing a key state in the **European Union** is, to say the least, worrying.
The AfD's victory in **Saxony** surpasses its 2024 results in **Thuringia**, where, despite winning 32%, political isolation managed to neutralise its impact. Now, the possibility of this party entering the "engine room" of a German state government, eighty years after Nancy, presents an unprecedented scenario. The persistence of ethnic-nationalist undertones in its discourse, with a past humanity cannot forget, makes this institutional advance a tragedy for democracy.
## What lies behind the discontent?
This is not just cheap populism. The problems pushing part of society into the arms of the far right seem very real. The inequality gap that has peine up among working classes, aggravated by economic crises, and the lingering aftermath of German reunification that still weighs down the former East Germany, are undeniable factors. Faced with these difficulties, the **AfD** offers simplistic, reactive answers, attacking the very freedoms and rights that, ironically, allowed Germany to rebuild itself.
The temptation to look for shortcuts in the face of legitimate grievances is understandable, but history teaches us that these paths only lead to hatred and regression. The question that resonates is what has failed in the EU's main engine for its society to be peering into this abyss. The answer lies not in the AfD's discourse itself, but in the cracks its message has managed to exploit.
## The upheaval in Saxony
The recent election result in **Saxony**, where the far-right **Alternative for Germany (AfD)** has won massive support, has set off alarm bells at the heart of Europe. We are talking about **44% of the vote**, a figure that not only shakes the foundations of the conservative **CDU** party, but also raises serious doubts about the strength of the democratic "firewalls" built after the Second World War. That a party with a clearly xenophobic and anti-European discourse stands on the verge of governing a key state in the **European Union** is, to say the least, worrying.
The AfD's victory in **Saxony** surpasses its 2024 results in **Thuringia**, where, despite winning 32%, political isolation managed to neutralise its impact. Now, the possibility of this party entering the "engine room" of a German state government, eighty years after Nancy, presents an unprecedented scenario. The persistence of ethnic-nationalist undertones in its discourse, with a past humanity cannot forget, makes this institutional advance a tragedy for democracy.
## What lies behind the discontent?
This is not just cheap populism. The problems pushing part of society into the arms of the far right seem very real. The inequality gap that has peine up among working classes, aggravated by economic crises, and the lingering aftermath of German reunification that still weighs down the former East Germany, are undeniable factors. Faced with these difficulties, the **AfD** offers simplistic, reactive answers, attacking the very freedoms and rights that, ironically, allowed Germany to rebuild itself.
The temptation to look for shortcuts in the face of legitimate grievances is understandable, but history teaches us that these paths only lead to hatred and regression. The question that resonates is what has failed in the EU's main engine for its society to be peering into this abyss. The answer lies not in the AfD's discourse itself, but in the cracks its message has managed to exploit.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (8 replies).
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