German voters went to the polls on Sunday, February 23rd and ousted the ruling Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). The center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) took the most seats, but fell well short of attaining a majority of seats in the Bundestag. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) took the second most seats, winning roughly twenty percent of the vote, with the SPD, The Greens, and The Left winning significant numbers as well. Given the result, at least three parties would need to form a coalition to install a new government. Should the CDU and AfD come together, they would still fall just short of fifty percent of the Bundestag’s seats. It seems even more unlikely that the CDU could form a governing coalition with parties to the left, as they would need at least the support of the SPD, plus either The Greens or The Left. Perhaps the best takeaway as the coalition process begins is that while the AfD will not lead the government, they will likely take a prominent place once it is formed.
Atlas supports the fact German voters kept the AfD from holding power, either alone or at the head of a coalition, but still one-in-five Germans supported the radical party. It is easy to point to the fact that eighty percent of Germans disapprove of the AfD, but not much less disapprove of the CDU, and far more Germans disapprove of the SPD, The Greens, and The Left, not to mention other minor parties. The election was a victory for the Right, broadly speaking, with Left-leaning parties garnering just over one third of the electorate. This could provide the foundation for a strong opposition, but Germans and the world need parties and people in power who have openness, survival, and uniting as their motivation. The coming to power of the CDU and AfD certainly does not suggest such a view.
So, what next? If you are in Germany, we encourage you to keep up pressure on those forming governing and opposition coalitions to marginalize the influence of the AfD as much as possible. While we believe the parties of the opposition would be better for Germany’s future, we share differences with them as well. Therefore, we further encourage German citizens to get in contact with us to strengthen the Atlas organization within the country, join us formally, and stand in upcoming elections under the Atlas Banner. Additionally, we ask that you spread the word of our Freedom Marathon to take place in Milan on March 15th, along with our campaign for United Nations Secretary-General, and our call to activists to institute a Freedom Emergency in their cities, regions, and nations.
While this election may have been a setback for progressive change with our survival on the line, our work will help in mitigating the damage. We ask your support in joining us in this work.
Trent Trepanier
Photo: The Economist