Far-right party election victory in Germany is danger to democracy

„A great many different and large segments of society must prepare themselves for the possibility of being persecuted by a government led by the AfD. This is a very real danger,” said Jonas Frykman, coordinator of the German alliance “Zusammen für Demokratie”.

According to him those groups are people with disabilities, a very large group, women who wish for independent, self-determined lives, and people with a non-heterosexual sexual orientation, so people that don’t fit into the “German ideal” of the party.

In the program of the party in Saxony-Anhalt is says: “The AfD is the only party that considers immigration from the perspective of Germany. We are under no obligation to allow immigrants who harm us into the country. We will therefore deport as many illegal immigrants as possible.”

The election is impacting the whole nation 

Frykman says that potentially everyone in Germany and Europe is affected by the recent developments with the election outcome. The recent election in the federal state has an emotional impact on citizens all over Germany.

“I find it frightening and, on the one hand, understandable, but on the other hand, I simply cannot comprehend how it is possible that, across an entire federal state, the political parties’ educational mandate and public awareness campaigns have gone so spectacularly wrong,” said Lena Franke, 25 years old from Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

Even though the history does not repeat itself exactly, but what has happened before could happen again, Frykman refers to the Nazis’ takeover.

“I find it mind-boggling that, after all these years, we’ve learnt and taken so little from our history that we’re unable to reach out to eastern Germany or Saxony in particular and educate them about everything that happened and why it all came to pass,” Lena said.

People have to be democratic in their every day life

According to Frykman everyone is now called upon to take matters into their own hands, in their football club, in the fire brigade, on the street, in their neighborhood and at school. Everyone must do their bit, because if democrats are apathetic and do nothing, then the far right will be able to rule unchallenged, he explains.

“It is of the utmost importance to realize that we are the majority and to stand up for our ideals and for democracy in our everyday lives,” Frykman said.

The alliance wants to support everyone in Saxony-Anhalt and beyond by amongst others providing advice, by raising funds, by providing lawyers.

The party AfD in Saxony-Anhalt didn’t reply to a request sent to them.