The Alternative for Germany party, also known as the AfD, doubled its vote share in federal elections on Sunday, coming in second and achieving the strongest showing for a German far-right party since World War II. The rise of the AfD has been attributed to factors such as immigration and the demographic decline of former industrial regions and rural areas in the former East Germany.
Younger people have been leaving these economically struggling regions for cities and wealthier western parts of the country, leaving behind an aging and shrinking population. This has created fertile ground for the AfD, as the party’s anti-immigration stance resonates with those who feel abandoned by mainstream political parties. The success of the AfD threatens to perpetuate a cycle of decline in these left-behind regions.
Experts argue that immigration is one of the few solutions to the problems faced by aging populations and shrinking economies. However, far-right parties like the AfD advocate for a reduction in immigration levels, further exacerbating the challenges in these regions. This trend is not unique to Germany, as similar dynamics are playing out in other developed countries where working-age people are leaving peripheral regions.
The rise of the far right and the mainstream parties’ anti-immigration responses contribute to a ‘doom loop’ in which left-behind regions continue to suffer without access to much-needed services and economic growth. The long-term consequences of these trends could lead to a homogenization of aging and declining populations across countries. The success of the far right threatens to deepen the problems faced by these regions, creating a vicious cycle of decline and polarization in the political landscape.
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