Germany Has Gotten More Conservative, Not More Radical
It’s up to centrists to speak to German voters’ main anxieties about the economy, immigration and public safety.
Where have the centrists gone?
Source: Bloomberg
For the first time since the Nazi era, a far-right party made a significant political breakthrough in Germany. The Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) won a regional election this month in the state of Thuringia and came second in neighboring Saxony. Visceral angst for democracy has befallen the country, but all is not as bleak as it seems.
As the rise of the far right is hogging the limelight, it obscures the bigger picture: German society hasn’t become more radical. It’s become more conservative. For years, moderates have failed to offer credible center-right politics on the ballot, but that may be about to change. Expect German politics to shift right, though not as far as many fear.