Despite the attempts to draw a clear line between conservatism and the far right, the eastern German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) celebrated the highly symbolic 30th anniversary of German Unity Day together with the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) – and without their left-wing coalition partners. Introduction On 3 October 2020, Germany celebrated the… Continue reading “In Controversial Company: Conservatives and Far Right United on German Unity Day”
Heidegger’s philosophy has legitimised the far right’s regional environmentalism, populism and cultural racism. On 28 May 2020, Björn Höcke, the leader of Germany’s far-right party Alternative für Deutschland in the state of Thuringia published a glossy picture of himself on his Facebook profile. On the photo, one can see him sitting on a park bench… Continue reading “Why did Heidegger emerge as the central philosopher of the far right?”
On 5 February, the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) candidate, Thomas Kemmerich, was officially appointed to the position of Thuringia’s Minister-President, relying on the votes of both the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the populist far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party. The latter congratulated itself for being at the bottom of concessions made by the… Continue reading “In Bed with the Far Right in Thuringia: A Watershed Moment for Muslim CDU supporters?”
Unlike yesterday’s fascists, today’s radical right-wing leaders propagate neither territorial expansion nor anything close to the racial laws of the 1930s. Björn Höcke is public enemy number one in present-day Germany. At least that’s what German media suggest. Höcke is a leading exponent of the “völkisch” wing of Alternative for Germany (AfD), the country’s radical right-wing populist… Continue reading “Have We Seen the Eternal Return of Fascism?”
The recent surge of the radical right in Europe raises questions about whether the idea of a ‘Nazi state of emergency’ requires wider consideration. In October, the radical right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) came second in elections in the East German state of Thuringia, pushing Angela Merkel’s CDU into third place. Although the AfD failed… Continue reading “Why We Should Take Dresden, Germany’s “Nazi State Of Emergency” Seriously”
The announcements for the next large White Power Music festivals in Saxony (“Skinheads Back to the Roots” in March; “Schild & Schwert” festival in June) and Thuringia (“Tage der nationalen Bewegung” in July) have just been released. Even though the number of visitors decreased by the end of the year 2018 (6,000, 2,200 and 1,100… Continue reading “Saxony and Thuringia – Strongholds of White Power Music in Germany”
