Very Troubling News From Germany

[Annie]

http://medienkritik.typepad.com/blog/2004/09/extremists_make.html

check out the link for the graphs, etc.

Neo-Nazi, Communist Extremists Make Big Gains in German State Elections
(By Ray D.)

Troubling Election Results Rock Eastern Germany

For the past year, the German media has dedicated an enormous amount of time to covering US politics and the upcoming presidential election. At the same time, that same media has under-reported troubling political changes going on right in their own collective backyard. Over the past couple of years, Germans have been growing increasingly dissatisfied with the ruling Socialist-Green government led by Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and its failed attempts at reform. One election debacle has followed the next for Schroeder, but most members of the media, particularly those on the left, have shied away from making the government's slow implosion into a burning issue. Now the troubling election results in two eastern German states, Brandenburg and Saxony, have made internal discontent an issue that simply no longer can be ignored. Here's why:



Shocking: Neo-Nazis (NPD) in a Virtual Tie with Schroeder's SPD in Saxony

For starters, the big winner in the Saxony state election is Germany's neo-Fascist NPD, which made the largest gains of all parties to win representation in the state parliament with between 9 and 10% of the vote. The NPD's result puts it in a virtual dead-heat with Schroeder's SPD, which also finished with a projected 9 to 10% of the vote. The NPD has called for the restoration of German lands lost in World War II and has labeled the United States the "world's arsonist."

In Brandenburg state elections, another hard-right party, the DVU, also captured just enough of the vote to win representation in that state's parliament. The DVU was already represented in Brandenburg's parliament coming into the election and has won renewed representation this time around, reclaiming just over 5% of the total vote.



The Communist Party (PDS) also a Winner

In both Saxony and Brandenburg, the Communist PDS, which formerly ruled East Germany as a member of the Warsaw Pact prior to 1990, made significant gains and increased its level of representation in both states' parliaments. In Brandenburg, the Communists scored an increase of at least 5 percentage points, upping their result from 23.3% to around 29%. In Saxony, the PDS gained a point in receiving 23% of the vote. In both states, the number of votes going to extremist parties on the right and left was alarmingly high, accounting for over one-third of all ballots cast.

Mainstream Parties Big Losers in both Elections

In both states, the two major German mainstream parties, the SPD (Social-Democrats) and the CDU (Christian-Democrats) suffered considerable losses. Voters, particularly eastern Germans, are fed up with attempted reforms of the welfare system and the general feeling that the nation is stagnating. At the moment, it appears that the CDU has lost its absolute majority in Saxony, but will likely continue to govern in a coalition with the FDP. In Brandenburg, the SPD and CDU will again likely combine for a "large coalition" to keep the DVU and the PDS out of the government.

Maybe the US Media Should be Concerned about German Elections

With all of the concern and wringing of hands going on in the German media and the nation at large about the US elections, perhaps it is the US media that should be worried about the trend towards extremism manifesting itself more strongly with each passing day in German politics. The German media would also be well advised to pay greater attention to internal political affairs and the failings of Germany's leaders. Granted, It certainly wouldn't be as profitable as bashing George W. Bush and the United States, but it might save the nation from future election embarrassments.

When Fascists and their sympathizers win a claim to power in two German state parliaments and Communists lay claim to so much of the total vote, it should certainly set off alarm bells anywhere that democracy is valued. Let's hope the German media finally starts pulling its weight on this...

Stay tuned...

September 19, 2004 at 08:19 PM

 

[padisha emperor]

Amazing ! I wanted to post a thread here too. About this subject, because I saw it in the news report.

About the NPD, the neo-nazi party.
Now, they are in Sachsen and Brandenburg Parliaments.

The posters of this party are red, with some black and white, and with some things who have the same shape than the flag of the Nazi Kriegsmarine.

I believe it is because these ex-DDR Länder have big troubles, like a strong unemployement. For some people who are desesperated, they think it can be a solution.
In Sachsnen, they want to close the borders with the Czec Rep.

 

[Annie]

http://www.dw-world.de/english/0,1594,1432_A_1333427_1_A,00.html?mpb=en

Germany woke up to fears that the political tremors sparked by state elections in Saxony and Brandenburg on Sunday could lead to deeper division within their country and scare off investors.

Observers say the success of the Party of Democratic Socialism, the successor to East Germany's communist party, and the extreme right National Party of Germany (NPD) and German People's Union (DVU) in Sunday's elections show how angry East Germans are at the reality they face 14 years after reunification.

The PDS rode a wave of discontent over Chancellor Gerhard Schröder's tough social reforms to 28 percent of the vote, making them second-strongest party in Brandenburg, behind Schröder's Social Democrats (SPD).

The governing SPD and conservative Christian Democratic Union "got a serious slap in the face," said Lothar Bisky, the Brandenburg parliamentary head for the PDS, a party that most analysts left for dead after their failure in the last federal election.

Left-wingers "divide" the country, says Schily

Though the party will most likely be excluded from a coalition government --- the SPD is more likely to pick the conservative Christian Democratic Union -- their success has nevertheless sent the government in Berlin a message, and one they don't like to hear.

By making themselves, as a regional party, the "mouthpiece of a part of Germany" they are deepening the divide between East and West, Interior Minister Otto Schily said of the party, which has only found success so far in the east.

The same goes for the NPD, which Schily tried and failed to ban two years ago. Based on their Sunday success, the right wing party can claim 12 seats in Saxony's parliament. The 9.2 percent they won was almost as much as the 9.8 percent of the Social Democratic Party, the party of Germany's chancellor.

Right wing candidate ignored on television

"Today is a fantastic day for all Germans that still want to be

Germans," the NPD's top candidate, Holger Apfel, said during a round of candidate interviews in German station ZDF's studios. Soon after his comment, the other candidates walked off the set and the reporter broke off Apfel's diatribe.

Political scientists say the miserable economic climate and the anger of young East Germans that fuelled the NPD's Sunday success could spark a worrying trend.

"If some sort of economic miracle doesn’t take place in the east, our society's potential for supporting right wing politics could reach high levels," said political scientist Jürgen Felter on the German talk show Sabine Christiansen, Sunday night.. He estimated the potential at 15 percent across Germany.

Saxony state officials fear the presence of right- wing extremists in the state parliament will scare off the international investors that have made Saxony one of the few economic bright spots in the East. In recent years, the state has been able to profile itself as a center for bio-technology and microchip production while enjoying an increase in tourism.

Ahead of the elections, Saxony's Premier, Georg Milbradt, said that should the NPD make it into the parliament, he needn't bother going to America anymore to promote his state.

 

[NATO AIR]

scary stuff

a return to nazism as a reputable political power in germany?

 

[Annie]

scary stuff

a return to nazism as a reputable political power in germany?

Both Germany and France are having these kind of results in their legislative elections, wouldn't say it bodes well for their leaders, but worse for their citizens. Somehow we'll be hearing, 'It's all GW's fault!'

 

[NATO AIR]

yea, they will find a way to blame this on us. i'm sure of it.

 

[Said1]

The Economist has been reporting snippets of this for some time. Great magazine, they tend to be a little ahead of most main stream media.

 

[padisha emperor]

Jean Marie Le Pen is a extrem-right party's leader, but not a Nazi...

assholes, yes, nazi, no.

it doesn'nt mean that the german people - and the french in 2002 - is nazi....only that some are desesparate : unemployement in Sachsen and Brandenburg : 18.5% ! ex-BDR (west germany) : 8%. It irritae the east germasn, the west is richer.
but the west is sick of giving always money for east. 1200 billions, I believe since 1989.

But they are not nazi, fascists or rascists.
And like in France in 2002, big big manifestations in the streets to say their shame of these results, to say NO to nazis : Nazis raus".

 

[dilloduck]

Jean Marie Le Pen is a extrem-right party's leader, but not a Nazi...

assholes, yes, nazi, no.

it doesn'nt mean that the german people - and the french in 2002 - is nazi....only that some are desesparate : unemployement in Sachsen and Brandenburg : 18.5% ! ex-BDR (west germany) : 8%. It irritae the east germasn, the west is richer.
but the west is sick of giving always money for east. 1200 billions, I believe since 1989.

But they are not nazi, fascists or rascists.
And like in France in 2002, big big manifestations in the streets to say their shame of these results, to say NO to nazis : Nazis raus".

Perhaps you need to have your election process overseen by an international committee ?

 

[padisha emperor]

having a man you was an old alcoolic and an old junkie ( i take it from a book very popular in the US now ), a man whoo is not able to speak, to think, who is an extremist religious, for President...it is not really better.


dillo, you're so funny ! don't make me laugh, i'll fall from my chair ! ......

 

[CSM]

having a man you was an old alcoolic and an old junkie ( i take it from a book very popular in the US now ), a man whoo is not able to speak, to think, who is an extremist religious, for President...it is not really better.


dillo, you're so funny ! don't make me laugh, i'll fall from my chair ! ......

I agree and that's why Ted Kennedy could never be president under any circumstances...or did you mean someone else?

 

[padisha emperor]

You are not right.
I meant an other man . Youknow, the one who made stolen his brain by Karl Rove.
GWB

 

[dilloduck]

You are not right.
I meant an other man . Youknow, the one who made stolen his brain by Karl Rove.
GWB

Now go read Unfit for Command and get back to us .

 

[padisha emperor]

the nickname of Rove is "the Bush's brain".

 

[Comrade]

the nickname of Rove is "the Bush's brain".

Well naturally, the Bush haters can't keep being outsmarted by just 'stupid Bush' forever... eventually some genious has to be behind this whole righteous left ass kicking. So Rove is the masterminding guru of the day, heh.

 

[Zebra]

Scary!

 

[Silver Cat]

Just wanted to add some music.

 

[petro]

Scary!

Jesus Christ.
The thread is from 2004 and none of these people are here anymore.

What the fuck is wrong with you?

 

[Zebra]

2004 is not long ago in history

 

[Zebra]

and the headline fits for the present as well