Is Germany and Europe Moving to the Right?

Can Chancellor Merkel Navigate SS Germany to calm waters?

The recent regional elections in Germany has resulted in gains for the right and a relative loss of electoral support for the German Government, led by Angela Merkel's CDU.

This has caused some shock to the system, as well as some fear amongst Germans - and other Europeans - and, indeed, the migrants and refugees who are in or were hoping to get to Germany.

So the Christian Democrats Union has lost some support, while the anti-refugee Alternative for Germany party has gained between 10-25 per cent of the electoral votes. Yes, it is a matter of concern, and one which the German Government need to heed, with a view to ascertaining why the Right is rising and how to counter it, but it is probably far from being the crisis situation which the popular media would want to hype it up into being.

With hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants arriving in and/or are at the borders of various European countries, waiting to get in, it is to be expected that all Germans and other Europeans will be watching the unfolding situation with some concern and fear.  Ordinary citizens will be thinking that, yes, Germany needs to be helping the refugees and migrants.  But where they might differ, is  over how they are helped, how many Germany takes in and on what basis, how many are taken in on a permanent basis and how is the government going to integrate them into German society, without causing significant current and future disruption to social life, and how many will be returned to their countries of origin as soon as it is safe to assist them to do?

This is not a dilemma which is being experienced solely by the Germans, although it is definitely the case that the Germans have taken a more compassionate approach towards dealing with the crisis, compared to their eastern European EU partners, and that this approach has led to the Germans being resented. Germany has set a precedent which her poorer neighbours cannot or do not want to follow, and one which some of them feel could prove detrimental to them in the long-term; not just economically, and in terms of disruption in their job markets, but also in terms of religious and demographic factors.

So, it seems to me that the German Government cannot afford the luxury of dismissing the gains of the Alternative for Germany party, anymore than the British Government can dismiss the challenge of the Brexit advocates to leave the EU.  It has to have a considered response for dealing with the migrant and refugee issue which will be sustainable and not to the detriment of German society. It has to identify what are the fears and concerns - both the genuine and manufactured ones - on which the incipient resurgence of the Right could be sustained, and address them honestly and satisfactorily.

The AFD is a minority party, but, Germans are aware of how a political minority can become the ruling elite, to the detriment of the majority. The refugees and migrants are currently a minority, so it is ironic that the situation which they have unwittingly helped to give rise to, threatens not only Germany's party politics, but also the unity of the European Union. 

A fundamental element of any plan to resolve the crisis has to be a massive programme to end the Syrian proxy war, and rebuilding the physical and demographic damage the country has sustained, and return the refugees and the migrants and help them to rebuild their lives and livelihoods.

OWOHROD