Jakub Majmurek: How do Germany perceive that Elon Musk has taken an interest in their politics and has joined the AfD campaign?
Patricia Tepper: According to the YouGov survey, 74 percent of Germans have a negative opinion on this issue. Most people don't like Musk getting mixed up in German politics, he doesn't trust himself. In turn 70 percent of AfD voters are positive. The organization will proceed to avenge the establishment and global elites, but so far as a associate of these elites offered her a helping hand, she accepted it with gratitude.
What are the reasons for Musk's negative image in Germany?
Germany is much more anti-American and much little pro-capitalist society than Polish, which besides influences the assessment of the richest man in the world. For example, how Musk manages the X portal – the old Twitter portal – and above all, how it is flooded with hateful content in the name of a circumstantial freedom of speech.
It is besides critical to see what happens at the Tesla mill in Grüneheide, Brandenburg, close Berlin, where about 12,000 people work. A fresh survey has been carried out among employees, and only a tenth of them believe that they will live to live to live there. Working conditions are so hard that 9 out of 10 employees complain of back pain, hands, another ailments. The mill is managed in a alternatively authoritarian way, unlike it is adopted within German corporate culture. The plant entered into conflict with the IG Metall trade union, which in Germany is simply a powerful institution.
Quite funny, local AfD politicians had previously protested against this factory, as there were concerns that its activities would run out of drinking water for Grüneheide residents.
How do the Germans explain to themselves why Musk was curious in their country? Is this about securing economical interests? The impact on the country's policies with the largest economy in the EU?
There are theories that Musk is learning about Germany and Alternatives for Germany from portal X, most frequently from the posts of AfD itself, which has the top coverage in social media among German parties. The alternate focuses on an alarmist message, depicts Germany as a country in a state of decline, where "great replacement” local population by migrants. A akin message may have put Musk into German politics, while radicalising it – it can be said that a billionaire has become a victim of his own platform algorithm.
I think it is not possible to ignore the fact that AfD's views are simply very close to Musk, especially her fight against the "ideology of woke". He is besides surely not disturbed by the fact that AfD is simply a very neoliberal organization demanding maximum simplification in the function of the state in the economy. Musk repeatedly complained about German bureaucracy, complained that he had to prepare a ‘truck of documents’ to make his German mill Tesla could have even moved. AfD has 20 percent support, and thanks to its social media coverage the anticipation of influencing the political debate in Germany – which can besides be attractive to Musk.
How crucial is X for the improvement of German political debate?
It is simply a social media much little popular than Facebook and Instagram, but has a crucial political significance. Politicians frequently act impulsively there, speaking in a way that violates good habits, which later frequently becomes a subject for the press.
When Musk took over X and the platform flooded aggressive content, many German politicians and institutions ostentatiously left the portal: e.g. the first channel of German public radio Deutschlandfunk, many ministries, Vice Chancellor of the Greens Robert Habeck. However, he returned to the electoral run period, like another politicians, due to the fact that on the platforms they moved to, fewer people were active. In Germany, the problem with the unrestrained debate on X was taken very seriously by politicians, tried to counter it, but without major effects.
In Britain, disputes between Muska and leading politicians, including Prime Minister StarmerThey just took the form of a vulgar mouth. In Germany, was the decorum rules more respected?
No, it didn't work out. Musk challenged Chancellor Scholz from fools, frequently reprising his statements with offensive comments. The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, called “an anti-democratic tyrant.”
Do you think Musk's support will aid AfD?
I believe that in the coming elections it is still, albeit to a tiny extent. The AfD has already reached the limit of its current support and Musk will at most aid to strengthen the people already ready to vote for this organization in that decision. due to the fact that for now, it is alternatively impossible for the alternate to win more than twenty-several percent of the vote in February.
I'm certain that the richest man in the planet is talking friendships with organization leader Alice Weidel helps further normalize AfD. It was no coincidence that during the interview, Weidel spoke of Hitler, convincing him that he was actually a socialist or even a communist, and the communicative depicting him as a right-wing policy was cursed. due to the fact that many German voters who consider voting for the AfD refuse to do so due to the memory of how the utmost right-wing regulation ended for Germany in the past. So the organization is trying to convince voters that Hitler had nothing to do with any right hand.
Global changes, launched by Trump's victory, don't aid AfD? They don't decision Overton's window to a good side for them?
Moving Overton's window is simply a constant, conscious organization tactic. surely changing the global context helps Alternatively, provides an argument: see, the full planet comes to akin conclusions. The global trend besides changes the approach of mainstream parties, e.g. chadeks, who wonder if it is essential to take over the AfD language, e.g. on migration to win elections. The fresh joint vote by the CDU and the FDP together with the AfD on a resolution calling for a tightening of migration policy, and later by the CDU and the AfD on fresh migration regulations, had a very crucial symbolic significance, was a breach of a taboo.
At the same time 70 percent of German voters are opposed to allowing AfD to rule. Friedrich Merz, leader of the chadeks, excludes the coalition with this party. These statements are besides meant to convince people: do not vote for AfD, due to the fact that this 1 will never regulation and will never fulfill its demands.
Do you think the cordon around AfD will hold? At the national level, probably, but can we imagine that in the coming years, a government from AfD will emergence in 1 of the lands?
Absolutely. Already in any lands in the east, it is hard to build coalitions without AfD. To make a majority, mainstream parties had to communicate with left-wing populist The Sahra Wagenknecht movement. There was never an authoritative sanitary cordon around this party, but an alliance with it was a hard political movement for chadeks. So I wouldn't be amazed if, after the election to 1 of the Lands, the chadecia finds that there's no another way than any local AfD coalition.
What's the thing that drives the AfD the most today?
It's definitely migration. fresh terrorist attacks in Germany have undermined the sense of security, and its association with migration greatly favours AfD. Another issue is the economical situation, fearing the Germans that their financial situation will worsen.
Do we know who's voting for AfD? Who is their average voter today?
More or less, we know. They're mostly middle-aged people, and you don't see the organization having the support clearly leaning towards seniors or youngest voters. The electorate is dominated by people with secondary and primary education, the least support AfD has among voters with higher education. Many voters to the alternate for Germany are workers and unemployed. Most are worried about their financial situation. The organization has more support among men than women and much larger in the east of Germany, in the erstwhile GDR than in the west – the exception is Berlin.
In general, the 3 most crucial groups can be distinguished among the AfD voters: those who are afraid about their financial situation, those who are disappointed by politics and democracy, and yet – and it is not an insignificant group – supporters of authoritarian systems, mostly with far-right views.
Where does democracy come from in Germany? Are these people from the east part of the country?
To a large extent, yes. The people of the east lands have been feeling for years that local politicians are failing to work, and Berlin only cares about the interests of the western part of the country. There is besides the belief that, after the unification, key issues were imposed on them by the RFN elite, that East German society had no chance to participate in shaping the fresh reality.
Thus, there are opinions that democracy is liable for various problems as a system, and it may be worth reaching for a different strategy – even if based on a hard hand. Authoritarian attitudes are not limited to voters of Alternatives, they are besides seen in the electorate of Wagenknecht.
Why does the German left not scope the workers who are worried about the situation of voters? erstwhile the left-wing populist Sahra Wagenknecht Movement was formed, there were hopes that possibly he would choice up the AfD voters or halt their growth – that didn't happen, did it?
Wagenknecht herself had a diagnosis that leftist parties had mistakenly focused on identity policy, issues related to language, sex equality, minorities – which is incomprehensible to the average worker. The left, claimed Wagenknecht, had put on "the unusual minorities of Berlin", on globalism and neoliberalism, and the average individual had no more to look for in her offer. This may be true, and it is interesting that AfD speaks very small about its economical program.
What precisely is he like?
Like I said, it's a very neoliberal party. Its recipe for the problems of the German economy boils down to deregulation and maximum simplification of the function of the state. Then everything will be fine.
I think the AfD voters do not realise what would in practice mean for them to implement the economical programme of this party. The analysis shows that it would benefit mainly the richest Germans – the AfD voters act against their own interests.
They are prompted to do so by the migration situation, by the slogans specified as the fact that migrants arriving in Germany get much more than “national Germany” on a good day.
AfD has any part of the German large business?
No, it's inactive a large business taboo subject. I don't know any large German company that would financially support AfD. It could inactive mean a crisis of image and failure of customers.
We've had a beautiful ridiculous situation lately. The AfD account received an highly large grant – almost a million euros. akin sums must be disclosed on the Bundestag pages. The donor, the owner of a company, was dissatisfied with the fact that the information had reached the public and wanted to retreat the grant. It turned out that he did not want to support the AfD at all, but gave a donation of EUR 2 million to a sick friend, and that half contributed to the organization and besides indicated his donor company as a donor.
AfD is frequently referred to as the most extremist of extremist right-wing parties in Europe – even Marine Le Pen did not want to work with them in the European Parliament. Would you agree with that?
I don't know if there's any sense in making a list of the top radicals. The alternate was discarded from the Le Pen faction mainly due to its historical revisionism. Many AfD politicians contact on controversial topics related to planet War II, protesting the German memorial policy based on the presumption of German guilt or even trying to represent Germans as victims of planet War II. This is simply a problem for a organization specified as the Le Pen National Unity, for all the tactics of professionalisation and moving to mainstream, which parties of the far right across Europe present accept.
For AfD born in Berlin, a descendant of Turkish migrants is German? Does it accept the racial-ethnic concept of the German people?
In my opinion, the party's attitude is going in this direction. Of course, we won't find specified extremist slogans on the show, nor does the organization chief Alice Weidel lift them. Officially, AfD says that anyone who works and integrates can stay in Germany.
However, another crucial persons associated with the formation can see an aversion to foreigners and the desire to get free of any another people from Germany. Especially professing Islam, due to the fact that for a large part of AfD it is incompatible with German culture.
How much should we worry about expanding the importance of AfD in Poland?
Most of all, we should be worried about this historical revisionism. At the same time, the organization tries to build a affirmative image in Poland. On this episode, mainly the Euro MP Tomasz Froelich, working closely with the Confederation, was cast. He addresses Poles in his social media, increasingly appears in conventional media, convinces that negative opinions about AfD are the consequence of actions of leftist activists and people who want to destruct the party. Many people in Poland believe him.
Of all the parties competing in the upcoming elections, only AfD mentions Poland in its programme – but only in the context of "unacceptable demands for war repairs".
There's 1 more thing to keep in mind. Sahra Wagenknecht described AfD as a organization for ‘Ellenbogengesellschaft’, which can be translated as ‘a society where it spreads its elbows’, dominated by utmost selfishness in all dimension, including global politics. Those who think that AfD is not the worst option for Poland, and who hope that the organization will "order with migration", should consider whether Germany is in the Polish interest governed by a organization of utmost egoism to the highest virtue, or Poland – as a country in all respect from Germany – will not lose it.
AfD erstwhile proposed that seasonal workers – including those from Poland – should not include German minimum wage regulations. He advocates closing the borders. These are not good proposals for us.
AfD would like Germany to leave the European Union?
She would surely like to return to the national currency, but yet besides to leave the Union. The alternate began as a organization against the euro as a single currency. Then the subject dispelled migration. However, the anti-European subject has returned with increased force.
Last year the call to leave the European Union was discussed in the context of the European elections. specified a proposal even appeared in the first version of the party's program, but due to interior disputes it was withdrawn – it was explained that its appearance was a “print error” – Germany joked that AfD was mistakenly trying to destruct the European Union.
Surely the full formation believes that Europe should be as low as possible, that integration should be limited to loose cooperation between national states. He continues to stress that Germany pays extra to the EU, and that countries like Poland benefit from it.
There is simply a affirmative attitude to Russia with scepticism towards the Union?
AfD is pro-Russian in many areas. The programme of the organization explicitly includes the restoration of energy cooperation with Russia. AfD convinces that the Germans have always prospered best erstwhile they worked closely with Moscow and – unlike in Poland – this message resonates in Germany. alternate politicians besides go as observers to elections in Russia and Belarus.
The party, which papers show, is supported by Russia. For example, we had an action of the Doppelganger, whose tracks lead right there. It created websites that looked like mainstream media sites, but promoted a message beneficial to AfD.
Tusk's words, saying that at the AfD rally in Halle, where Musk was virtualized, were lost the slogans that sounded ominous, were noticed in Germany?
Not much. But this rally influenced how Chancellor Scholz and another central politicians spoke in context 80th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitzemphasizing the request for historical education and memory policy.
And are the words in Halle – Musk calling on the Germans not to focus on historical misdeeds, Alice Weidel promising to "make Germany large again" – weakening or strengthening the discord of most Germans to any common government with AfD?
These passwords resonate, unfortunately. The younger generations do not want to be constantly blamed for their ancestors' actions. Those who would agree with Musk here are not necessarily ready to vote for the AfD, but the fact that a large organization speaks this language openly affects what others can say in the public debate. There is no shortage of opinion that AfD preaches what another parties think quietly. There is even a saying that AfD is “a dish after 2 beers”.
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Patricia Tepper – an analyst in the “Germany-Europe-world” squad at the Poznań West Institute. He deals with German home and abroad policy, with peculiar emphasis on Russian influence in utmost parties.
