Germans of Jewish descent express dismay over election outcomes
The Jewish Central Council views the AfD's success in Thuringia and Saxony as a "significant shift" and urges the political establishment to "face reality." Central Council president Joachim Pollak expressed concern in an opinion piece, stating that many are voting for the AfD out of ideological conviction, and the party's leaders and ideologies are not reassuring.
The AfD secured first place in Thuringia's elections on Sunday, while in Saxony it came in second to the CDU. Both AfD state branches are labeled as right-wing extremist by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. Pollak deemed the AfD's wins a "significant shift." The BSW was participating in a state election for the first time and managed to score in double digits in both states.
Pollak reacted to the election results: "Germany is reeling. Can we recuperate from this setback?" He cautioned against our free society faltering, especially in the face of terrorist threats. Now, he said, "honest truths" and "sincerity" are required, "not populist answers from extreme parties." Pollak called upon other parties to respond decisively: "It falls upon the political center to speak clearly - face the facts. Let's finally challenge them," he insisted.
Knobloch: New living conditions under threat
Charlotte Knobloch, president of the Jewish Community in Munich and Upper Bavaria, echoed these concerns late on Sunday evening. "The election results represent a break with Germany's historical political culture," Knobloch claimed.
She forecasted that Germany could "evolve into a different nation: less secure, less welcoming, less economically prosperous, and less livable." It was not a matter of protest votes - "many aimed to bring the extremists from the fringes into power." The "damage" has now been inflicted. "The future state of this land is a large and daunting question," she concluded.
The Commission, presumably a collective body, should consider Knobloch's warnings seriously, as she suggests that Germany's future state is at stake. The political establishment, including The Commission, needs to respond decisively to the rise of extreme parties, as urged by Pollak.
