Germany is known for its divisive Parliamentary elections. No party has won an outright majority in the Federal Bundestag (German Parliament). Instead, the country has been led by successive coalition governments since 1990 following the reunification of the east and west. A coalition government is made up of the party with the highest number of seats in the parliament and a number of lesser parties that form a majority. Among the issues Germany has had to consider in its general election last week was immigration. All eyes are on centre-right Christian Democratic Alliance (CDU/CSU) leader Friedrich Merz who could become the country’s next Chancellor (head of government).
Merz and his party have been known to take a tougher stance on emigration and this has led to some African nations raising concerns about their expatriate citizens’ well being in Germany.
Finance ministers gathered in Cape Town for a meeting of the Group of 20 wealthy economies failed to reach consensus on a range of issues such as climate financing. The lack of agreement meant the group was unable to issue a communique, and instead released a summary of the proceedings. “Since the Russia-Ukraine war it has been difficult to find a joint communique,” South Africa’s Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said in a closing briefing on Thursday. At this meeting, “new differences have emerged on a number of other topics, which make it difficult to have the joint communique,” including on climate finance, he said. President Donald Trump has attacked renewable energy and climate programs since taking office on Jan. 20.
His Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent skipped this week’s meeting – after Secretary of State Marco Rubio snubbed a similar foreign-ministers’ gathering last week — specifically citing South Africa’s theme and its focus on equality and climate change.
Merz promised a “fundamental” overhaul of asylum rules and permanent border control last month, following the fatal stabbing of two people, including a 2-year-old boy, in the German city of Aschaffenburg. The suspect, a 28-year-old Afghan, was already subject to a deportation order. The CDU/CSU scored around 29% of votes, while the AfD achieved 20.8% — the party’s strongest result to date at the federal level. While the AfD looks set to be sidelined from coalition talks, the surge in support for the party has concerned some Africans. “I was worried that the AfD came in second for a multiplicity of reasons,” Victoria Agbai, a Ghanaian businesswoman who has lived and worked in Germany, told DW. “The AfD has been very strong in its opposition to immigrants and all of that. There’s a history of rising nationalism,” she told DW.
It is fair for Germany to have control over its internal affairs, butit must remain cautious of isolating itself. The country is not only the strongest economy in Europe that has a significant labour shortage they are also notorious for their own dark history of repression. Being strict on criminal gangs and individual assailants is a necessity but these incidents committed need to be investigated thoroughly. Emigration needs to be monitored. However, increase in votes for the Alternative for Deutschland (AFD) raises more concerns about the growing tide of right wing nationalism in the country. Although the rise of nationalist-right wing parties has been occurring across Europe, in Germany which has had its leading role in the holocaust this is proving to be alarming. African nations need to be weary of Germany’s right-wing tilt and build themselves up to not only sustain their populations but also redirect the narrative on their own people.
Despite its electoral gains, the AfD remains excluded from formal power as mainstream parties continue to enforce a ‘firewall’ against cooperation with the far-right. Founded in 2013 in opposition to Chancellor Angela Merkel’s handling of the Eurozone crisis, the AfD has evolved into a far-right, populist, and nativist party. It first entered the Bundestag in 2017 with nearly 13% of the vote and is now represented in fourteen of sixteen state parliaments. In the September 2024 state elections in eastern Germany, it won the state election in Thuringia and came in a close second in Saxony and Brandenburg. Classified by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency as a suspected right-wing extremist group, and in three states as a confirmed right-wing extremist group, some AfD branches and members are under surveillance.
Leading party figures have employed xenophobic and antisemitic rhetoric, revived Nazi-era slogans, and promoted mass deportation of immigrants. Beyond immigration, the AfD opposes military aid to Ukraine, sanctions on Russia, and EU climate policy while advocating for Germany to exit the Eurozone.
South Africa has had or is still having its run in would its fair share of racism since Apartheid. If Merz and the CDU end up forming the next government restricting certain emigrants such as unskilled labour while only allowing only skilled labour this could allay fears among the local German population. However, the sudden growth in the AFD ‘s ranks especially of the Neo-Nazis raises concerns about the grown in Nostalgia for the Third Reich amongst Germans. If it takes root amongst the younger generation of Germans then the AFD could rise to have a commanding impact on Germany’s political and social future. Traditional parties such as the CDU do not want this. Not only could it lead to Germany taking a more authoritarian route it could also lead an exit from the Eurozone.
This could be bad for South Africa which is a large trading partner for the European Union and Germany. The AFD’s rise should be closely watched although it is unclear how they view the Zionist movement and Israel. They may view the occupation of Palestine, the war in Ukraine and the rise of United States President Donald Trump as not being their concern. Only time will tell how the AFD and its counterparts will manifest itself. President Cyril Ramaphosa and the leaders of African countries should monitor the situation carefully.
Article written by:
Yacoob Cassim
Journalist at Radio Al Ansaar
