German Federal Election 23rd February 2025

[Tonitrus]

What Zoupa said.

And their economic policy is more Milei or Musk, i.e. unfettered capitalism without a social state. So not communist.

I didn't mean to imply AfD is for communist economics...just the authoritarian part. 

In the past, wasn't SPD formally popular in the former East?  How much are AfD voters really thinking about their economic platform, and more doing the one-issue thing on immigration/migrants (and significantly ignoring the economic part, much like our MAGA voters)?

[Syt]

[Richard Hakluyt]

Seems to me that economic inequality turns the losers into fascists which is then exploited by the unscrupulous and amoral.

[Josquius]

I've heard that the maps of Germany showing the nazi east are unfair, with most afd voters being in the west, and with the way the German system works that's what counts, not winning seats as in the UK.
True?
Reminds me of the brexit vote... The north got all the blame because of the maps when most fascists were down south


Also interesting. Expected but now showing for real.

You cannot see attachments on this board.

Nazi boys are a  real problem.
And less expected, sad to see girls not voting green as they were predicted to.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

Stronger military is nice...stealing out thunder and taking up the "arsenal of democracy" would be good too.

Scribes allowed...

Would be a good redemption arc

[Solmyr]

What choice does he have though? There is no other feasible option.

Do what the conservatives did 100 years ago and accept the Nazis into government because "we can control them". It's what the conservatives here in Finland did two years ago.

[Tonitrus]

Seems to me that economic inequality turns the losers into fascists which is then exploited by the unscrupulous and amoral.

But what explains the more economic disadvantaged areas in the old West going left instead of right?  Longer democratic tradition maybe?

[Zanza]

What Zoupa said.

And their economic policy is more Milei or Musk, i.e. unfettered capitalism without a social state. So not communist.

I didn't mean to imply AfD is for communist economics...just the authoritarian part. 

Their authoritarian ideology derives from the Führerprinzip and related concepts like social darwinism. Not from the Marxist-Leninist political theory that underpins the authoritarian ideology of communist parties.

In the past, wasn't SPD formally popular in the former East?

Between 1998 and 2006 apparently, but not since:

How much are AfD voters really thinking about their economic platform, and more doing the one-issue thing on immigration/migrants (and significantly ignoring the economic part, much like our MAGA voters)?

There are many different motivations for their voters, so that is hard to answer. Immigration, inflation, not feeling respected or heard, anti-wokeness, racism, anti-elitism, preference for authoritarian decisions over democratic consensus building etc.
Similar to the broad coalition that brought Trump to power really.

[Zanza]

Seems to me that economic inequality turns the losers into fascists which is then exploited by the unscrupulous and amoral.

The AfD gets support from all parts of society, but maybe re than average from low to mid educated people. Not the poorest, but lower income, fearing personal economic decline. Basically the classic petit bourgeoisie.

[Valmy]

The AfD gets support from all parts of society, but maybe re than average from low to mid educated people. Not the poorest, but lower income, fearing personal economic decline. Basically the classic petit bourgeoisie.

The Bonapartist coalition! At least according to Marx.

[Zanza]

I've heard that the maps of Germany showing the nazi east are unfair, with most afd voters being in the west, and with the way the German system works that's what counts, not winning seats as in the UK.
True?
Reminds me of the brexit vote... The north got all the blame because of the maps when most fascists were down south


Also interesting. Expected but now showing for real.

You cannot see attachments on this board.

Nazi boys are a  real problem.
And less expected, sad to see girls not voting green as they were predicted to.

West Germany has five times the population, so in absolute terms the AfD might get more votes from the West. But virtually all their parliamentarians got in via first-past-the-post in their constituency. However due to how the German election system works, the total number of seats in parliament are only determined by the relative share of votes across the nation.

The Left has a very popular young woman as front runner (Heidi Reichinnek). I guess she made the difference and could appeal better to young women than the top candidate for the Greens, a fifty plus man.

[Zanza]

I expect that Merz will not be able to compromise and build a coalition with SPD. His limited political experience has zero executive positions and only aggressive opposition leader positions. So far he has not demonstrated that he has something to offer to the SPD.

He already said before the elections that the "right decisions do not become wrong no matter who passes them in parliament". With that argument, he can of course find common ground with the fascists. Probably more than with the social democrats. I expect that to alleviate the "Not von Volk und Reich" he will sadly have to rely on the fascists.

[Zanza]

Seems to me that economic inequality turns the losers into fascists which is then exploited by the unscrupulous and amoral.

But what explains the more economic disadvantaged areas in the old West going left instead of right?  Longer democratic tradition maybe?

Just looked up Gelsenkirchen, probably the most depressed area in Western Germany, part of the Ruhr. While the Social Democrats won the FPTP candidate, the more important party vote went 24.6% AFD, 24.1 SPD, 22.7% CDU, 9.4% Left and 6.5% Green. So the AfD is the strongest party in that West German constituency.

[Zanza]

What choice does he have though? There is no other feasible option.

Do what the conservatives did 100 years ago and accept the Nazis into government because "we can control them". It's what the conservatives here in Finland did two years ago.

The question is how many current CDU members on the left of the party quit then. The Merkelians and the Social/Christian/Trade Union wing of the party still exists.

[Jacob]

Do what the conservatives did 100 years ago and accept the Nazis into government because "we can control them". It's what the conservatives here in Finland did two years ago.

Did they succeed? Are they controlling them in Finland?