Podcast 'The Boss - Power is Female' - Franzi von Kempis, communications adviser: These tricks are a way to beat AfD supporters
It's only been a few months since the far-right rally in Potsdam, with participants including the AfD, sparked a large citizen's movement: millions demonstrated in many German cities for democracy and against the shift to the right. Upcoming are three important state elections with alarming forecasts for the performance of populist parties like the AfD. How do we stand up against the shift to the right? Answers are given by Franzi von Kempis, journalist and communications consultant in the stern podcast "Die Boss".
Every day, in small ways, in private, says Franzi von Kempis, we can do something: "When picking up at the kindergarten, at the team meeting, at the family party." Because simply closing the laptop and isolating oneself from alarming news from parties like the AfD is not a solution: "Racism, anti-Semitism, hate against refugees - that's real and happens day by day."
"As a white woman, I am privileged"
It makes her sad that people in Germany are still surprised by so-called "secret plans" for mass deportations. "That shows: They can't imagine it because they're not affected. That still separates us. As a white woman, I am privileged, and that creates responsibility for me: I have a claim on myself to stand up for those who can't afford to because they are acutely threatened," she says in conversation with the host of the stern podcast "Die Boss", Simone Menne.
This attitude is not shared by the communications consultant alone. Especially in the workplace, there has been a change in thinking, a conscious approach against right-wing pressure: "Entrepreneurs have become braver, position themselves more, just because they think: We need our diverse workforce, we need Europe, we have to make sure our employees feel safe. That gives me hope."
"Goodbye AfD": Defining red lines
Franzi von Kempis is convinced: As a democratic society, we must stay in dialogue with those who think completely differently. Communicating with supporters of right-wing organizations like the AfD is not easy. Above all, it requires one's own inner clarity: "When I enter a conversation, I must know what my goals are. Do I just want to contradict, or do I want to discuss? It's also important to define my red line, for example certain expressions, certain claims. Without this clarity, the line becomes orange, then yellow, and eventually it's no longer a line."
Communications consultant von Kempis is well-versed in her engagement against the shift to the right. For about ten years, she has been providing argumentation aids against the right, first on her YouTube channel "The Concerned Citizen", later in her book "Guide to Dissent", and recently in her newsletter "Goodbye AfD". From this has emerged a rhetorical toolbox against the shift to the right for every day. "Not everyone feels witty, not everyone naturally brings the necessary civil courage, that's understandable. But one can learn to better arm oneself."
How to get allies for the counter-argument, what team leaders or managers can do to stop right-wing slogans, when interested inquiry becomes dissent against the shift to the right, and with which mimicry trick one can silently checkmate opponents of the AfD and co., communications consultant Franzi von Kempis tells in the stern podcast "Die Boss - Power is female".
In "The Boss - Power is Female", top women talk among themselves: Host and multi-board member Simone Menne (among others, BMW, Deutsche Post DHL, Henkel) meets female CEOs from all walks of life to discuss their lives and careers. "The Boss" airs every two weeks on Wednesdays on stern.de and the stern YouTube channel, as well as on RTL+ and all major podcast platforms.
Editor's Note: stern is part of RTL Germany.
The economic implications of the shift to the right are a concern for many, as populist parties like the AfD are predicted to perform well in upcoming state elections. Franzi von Kempis, a journalist and communications consultant, believes that small actions in everyday life can contribute to standing against this shift. For example, speaking up against racist or hateful comments in private conversations can help challenge the rise of such attitudes. In her role, she provides arguments and tools to combat the shift to the right, including through her newsletter "Goodbye AfD."
