What to do against rising AfD poll numbers?

Illustrated notes from a changing country / #40

Good morning from Germany,

In a way, my home country is doing pretty badly.

The right-wing, partly extremist party Alternative for Germany has never had more approval. If there were a federal election today, it would get 20 per cent of the votes.

What drives voters to the so-called AfD? The constant repetition, in countless variations, that Germany is going down the drain.

This narrative is becoming increasingly popular; that's my impression, at least. Much more often than I used to, I meet people who believe things are going downhill in this country. The debt, the climate, the demographics, immigration, the financing of the war against Russia, the cost of energy, their beloved cars – everything would become more expensive, worse, more limited, people think.

But on the whole, people are wrong. Because open societies have always found good solutions to pressing problems. The only reason it shouldn't be this time is if this open society ends because those who think everything is going down the drain vote for those who, once in power, will never let go of this power.

So what to do?

We urgently need a narrative about what is good in our country. Peak in employment, high prosperity, and steadily falling CO2 emissions, for example. And we need a productive and positive debate on the solutions on the table. Anyone who badmouths the country, whyever they are doing so, should be aware that they sin against a possible wonderful future for Germany and Europe. Because without freedom, there will be no lasting prosperity.

So again, what to do?

Let us tell more positive stories. Not making up positive stories, but real stories – because THERE ARE thousands of them.

Greetings from Germany,

Johannes Eber

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