Concrete Achievements

Tag: germany

  • Reading: Why is AfD strong in eastern Germany?

    This 2020 article in PQ by Manes Weisskircher reviews the research on why the far right is strong in eastern Germany.

    The answer is multi-faceted. There is the reality of economic decline, particularly for those of working age since the welfare state gives people past retirement age an income on which they can live easily -worth noting that in the Saxony-Anhalt results yesterday, the older voter cohorts, past retirement age, were more likely to vote CDU than AfD, despite the CDU’s terrible showing in the region.

    There is also a sense of being looked down upon, particularly by AfD voters – the idea that the western Germans don’t think that they are worth helping.

    Immigration narratives (rather than immigration realities) also play their part, as does the flight of younger people away from areas where they see no prospect of work

    What does it mean for democracy?

    First, that economic well-being matters but so does the sense of being an equal citizen, not a burden on the state. Restarting economic growth in eastern German towns may not be something that can be done with a wave of the hand, but understanding how they need support as the economy continues to transition is part of it. Also, the solidarity between East and West is under pressure in Germany – in a time of fiscal problems for the country as a whole, what can be done to reinforce that as a collective right not a burden on the wessis?

    Second, social and democratic cohesion (or re-integration, in the term the article uses) is essential. That has to start at local level is needed to give voice to local communities and to stand against disinformation-driven radicalisation. Jochen Wegner in Die Zeit calls for this sort of democratic mobilisation, but it can’t come just from Berlin and the media sphere, it has to be built locally.

    Third, the defences at national level against the far-right also need to be stronger. This isn’t just about maintaining the firewall against engaging with the AfD, but also finding means to counter the huge PR boost they acknowledge they are getting from far-right foreign forces, whether Muskite or Putinite.

  • Links from the week of 8 August 2022

    Articles, reports and other links I shared on Twitter this week.

  • I’m getting a bit weary of this sort of thing.

    I’m getting a bit weary of this sort of thing. Are there people in the FR, DE etc political systems who think this? Probably. Is that the official position of any of those countries? No. Are they objectively behaving in pro-Putin ways? No. twitter.com/anders_aslund/…

    A few misquotes out of context (as is pointed out in the replies) don’t mean France is pressuring Ukraine to surrender. Slow action from Germany is not great but not a sign that they want Russia to win (listen to scholz’s speech last night).

    And the country that is actually blocking things – Hungary – never gets a mention. It’s all the bad old Western Europeans. (Or, for Brexiteers, the evil EU undermining heroic British leadership).

    Maybe I’m wrong, maybe stuff is happening behind the scenes that we don’t know about. But I would expect that to be sourced better than a few viral misquotes, unsupported by countries’ actual actions.

  • If Hungary result stays as it is, chances of meaningful reform of EU are strongly down.

    If Hungary result stays as it is, chances of meaningful reform of EU are strongly down. Several more years of Orban and PiS blocking action against each other will use up the Scholz-Macron window of opportunity. After it, Macron can’t run again.

    Might even lead to revival of the small-core Rutte model, either within or outside the current Treaty framework, particularly if HU continues down path of being the Russian asset in Council.

    All in all, it’s extremely depressing. I would say “ah well, that’s democracy”, but given what Fidesz have done to electoral system and media, it’s not that.

  • “American-style governors” is the British political pathology in a phrase.

    “American-style governors” is the British political pathology in a phrase. They won’t be constitutionally established elected leaders, but they will be *named* after something American because this generation of Tories have a teen crush on the US. thetimes.co.uk/article/americ…

    “American-style governors” will – whatever the promises – inevitably be dependent on the Treasury and Whitehall so will be more elected regional managers than political figures in their own right.

    And, of course, there are better examples closer to home that are better adapted to the UK system but are invisible because they don’t happen in English and politically unacceptable because they are European.

    If someone wants me to write a piece on “German style Minister-Presidents could level up England”, my rates are reasonable.

  • Links from the week of 8 November 2021

    Articles, reports and other links I shared on Twitter this week.

  • Common EU borrowing to get round the debt brake?

    Common EU borrowing to get round the debt brake? German coalition negotiations are giving me policy whiplash.

    (From @POLITICOEurope morning briefing)

    “Back in his Berlin hotel room, Emmanuel Macron smiled as he removed his Christian Lindner mask. His plan was almost complete.”

  • It has been depressingly educational to see how the media have taken one line in Macron’s…

    It has been depressingly educational to see how the media have taken one line in Macron’s speech that triggers their refugee crisis memories, taken it out of context from all the things Macron said about taking refugees and a better European strategy, framed it

    As the main point of the speech, and now Twitter is screaming that French voters have a choice between a male and female Le Pen. It’s notable that the only French media that made it the main theme was far-right rag Valeurs Actuelles.

    I would have liked to hear a different speech but this was not the speech Twitter thinks it was. If we allow this situation to be reframed for us into the 2015 refugee crisis it will become the 2015 refugee crisis and the far right will be delighted.

    Macron promised a new initiative with Germany very shortly. It needs to be of the right level of ambition and to focus on making the process more welcoming and more collective in Europe while protecting people from traffickers.

    The full speech is here: elysee.fr/emmanuel-macro…

  • Links from the week of 24 August 2020

    Articles, reports and other links I shared on Twitter this week.

  • Links from the week of 8 June 2020

    Articles, reports and other links I shared on Twitter this week.