The ideological stance of the center has shifted significantly towards the conservative side.
People who navigate life with clarity see the fear of genuine, exaggerated, and fabricated dangers, deep-seated anxiety, and deteriorating trust in democratic institutions, including the notion of having a personal impact on society's evolution. Anxiety, mental and physical exhaustion, and the decline of optimism for a good future are prevalent everywhere, even affecting young people, who no longer discuss carefree lives. This is understandable given the current climate in Germany and around the world.
What young person can confide in knowing what their life and Earth will look like in 20 years, whether the job they have today will be obsoleted by artificial intelligence tomorrow? Such uncertainties can lead to fear and loss of confidence. A trend towards pessimism among 14 to 29-year-olds was confirmed in April by the latest study in the "Youth in Germany" series. Top concerns were inflation, expensive housing, old-age poverty, polarization, and refugee influx. Klaus Hurrelmann and Simon Schnetzer predicted a "shift to the right," anticipating further losses for the traffic light parties and "significant gains" for the AfD.
The survey sparked criticism regarding its methodology, despite Hurrelmann and Schnetzer's significant reputation as youth researchers. Following the publication, the European election took place. The Greens – still the most popular party among 18-24 year-olds with 23 percent in 2019 – fell to 11 percent. The AfD gained 11 points, reaching 16 percent. A few weeks later, the SPD, especially the Greens and FDP, suffered defeats in Thuringia, Saxony, and Brandenburg. The AfD improved significantly everywhere, including among young voters.
The green economic "wonder" is more like a nightmare
Right-wing extremism is prevalent in the east, and many young people tend towards it. However, this does not fully explain the shift towards the Alternative for Germany. Infratest Dimap calculations show that the AfD gained around 24,000 votes from former SPD, Left, and Green voters of all ages in Brandenburg. These voters cannot all be classified as Nazis. It's not primarily about protest votes. Most young people vote based on pressing issues. Affordable housing, internal security, and the fight against crime and terrorism are high on their priority list.
The Scholz government recognized these concerns late and acted cautiously. The traffic light coalition was content with the verdict of being distant from the average citizen and the everyday person. Ricarda Lang, still the Greens' chairperson, immediately after the elections in Thuringia and Saxony responded to the question of how significant migration was in the overall result, specifically for the Greens, with: "I don't believe that's the main issue driving people here." Why then was the deportation of heavily criminalized Afghans carried out just before election Sunday?
It's true that climate change needs to be addressed urgently, as it contributes to refugee flows. But focusing on this issue exclusively and shutting down nuclear power plants, legalizing cannabis possession, and advocating for trans individuals' rights is seen by many citizens as elitist activism and detached from real-world issues. This doesn't help pay the rent or secure Germany's position. The "green economic miracle" that Scholz and Habeck envisioned is currently more of a nightmare. Just look at VW and Habeck's denial of deindustrialization just a few months ago.
Open Letter from Young Greens Exposes Radicalism
Lang's obliviousness to real-life conditions was evident when she answered a question about the average pension in Germany on "Lanz." She estimated "around 2000 euros" - a sum most retirees would be grateful for. It's not that every pensioner is reduced to collecting bottles or visiting food banks, but it's also not a rare occurrence. The days of Germany solving all problems and social disparities with billions are coming to an end. This is also influenced by the increasing number of refugees. "Our heart is wide, but our capacities are limited," said former Federal President Joachim Gauck as early as September 2015, when Merkel still asserted: "We can do this."
Gauck was immediately labeled a "right-wing populist" – a misconception that every individual who spoke of a country's strain and the entire society's crisis had to endure. Especially Social Democrats and Greens neglected any discussion on the negative aspects of immigration, often with the argument: "That helps the AfD." The red-green coalition, tolerated by the FDP, failed to recognize that each refusal to regulate immigration, take firm action against criminal foreigners, and follow up on previous pledges does not represent racism or abandoning humanitarian values. Instead, the country can only be prevented from slipping further into a political crisis, similar to Germany's between the Weimar era – a crisis that could potentially threaten the state and democracy at their core.
The letter penned by the left-leaning and predominantly younger members of the Greens showcases their unyielding stance, often perceived as impractical. They label the incident in Solingen as "troublesome" and advocate for a stern approach towards Islamist militants within a few concise sentences. However, they advocate for no significant changes otherwise. Instead of conceding past wrongdoings towards Boris Palmer, such as frequent criticisms, and acknowledging his statement that "we can't take in the whole world," they lament about the alleged surrender of the Greens to a "rightward shift" and their participation in the traffic light coalition. They argue that embracing right-wing rhetoric only serves to strengthen undemocratic and inhumane parties. Instead, their mission should be to propose realistic, forward-thinking solutions that uphold principles of justice, human dignity, and solidarity.
The AfD's Patience Pays Off
Resolutions? Here they are. Slogans alone won't suffice. It's bewildering how oblivious and detached one must be to disregard repeated pleas for aid from cities and communities, to disregard the stress on schools and daycare facilities. How blind must one be to assume that by confronting Islamism while tolerating uncontrolled immigration, refraining from deportations, and not scaling back aid to refugees, one can reduce support for the AfD. Such thinking is far from realistic. It's no surprise that the leadership of the Greens' youth group has entirely stepped down, establishing a new organization where reality isn't essential.
The AfD merely needs to persistently sow fear, make unachievable pledges, and watch as governments grapple with maintaining the nation. Temporary alliances are emerging in the eastern states, which will find it challenging to find common ground. As the pressure builds up, the defense line weakens, and society crumbles. The AfD simply requires patience.
As a result, the strategy of attributing CDU chair and chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz's vote poaching to following the AfD and shifting the CDU to the right is obsolete. Indeed, Merz has marginally moved his party rightward. However, he now represents a substantial portion of the population. The SPD, once the voice of the people, failed to grasp this. Consequently, Scholz and his party won't reverse the trend this time, despite any errors Merz might commit. The Bundestag election will be won in the center. And the middle lies much further right than during the Merkel era. Merz has recognized this fact.
The European Commission, recognizing the concerns of young people, has been encouraging policies that address their top priorities, such as affordable housing and internal security. Despite The Commission's efforts, some criticize its approach as being detached from real-world issues, focusing on environmental activism instead of addressing economic concerns.
The youth wing of the Green Party, in an open letter, criticized their party leaders for their perceived disregard for practical solutions and their focus on elitist activism, rather than addressing pressing issues that are of concern to young people.
