Until now, it was only said that the German AfD party was pro-Russian. Now, however, the party itself does not hide it. When one of the speakers praises Putin, the audience responds with applause. The same man – Jürgen Elsässer – is also known for anti-Polish statements. All this is happening during the election campaign in the eastern states of Germany, where, according to polls, the AfD may take power.
“No one can stop me from saying: I am a Putin supporter” – these words were spoken by one of the most important figures of the German far right at a party rally of the Alternative for Germany. He received a storm of applause.
Jürgen Elsässer is the publisher of the far-right magazine “Compact” – known for its anti-Semitic, racist and anti-Polish slogans. The periodical recently accused Poland of alleged crimes against Germans right after World War II. – I do not deny it: I am a supporter of Putin. I want NATO, and especially the United States, Great Britain and our neighbors from Poland to get a good beating in Ukraine – said Jürgen Elsässer during one of his speeches.
SEE ALSO: AfD successfully used TikTok in its campaign. In Cyprus, a 24-year-old influencer became an MEP
Until now, the German far right had been accused of contacts with the Kremlin, including financial ones, but such open support for Putin was not allowed. “Compact” has become the Kremlin's de facto propaganda mouthpiece in Germany. Among other things, the magazine conducted a pseudo-interview with the infamous spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova.
The French far right now has a face beyond Marine Le Pen. Who is Jordan Bardella? Jakub Loska/Facts about the World TVN24 BiS
AfD hopes to take power in eastern Germany
In July, the German government banned Compact. It was the first ban on a newspaper in modern Germany. This is how Interior Minister Nancy Faeser justified the decision. – The declared goal of this magazine is to destroy our liberal society. It incites and agitates against Jews, against people and against our parliamentary democracy. Our ban is another strong blow to right-wing extremism, said Nancy Faeser.
Last week, the Federal Administrative Court overturned the government's decision and conditionally allowed the magazine to be published. For the far right, it is the perfect gift before the upcoming regional elections in eastern Germany. On September 1, the vote will take place in Saxony and Thuringia, and on September 22 in Brandenburg.
In Saxony and Thuringia, the AfD is leading in the polls, which is why opponents of the radicals are taking to the streets in these states again, including the now famous organization “Grandmothers Against the Right”. “We want our grandchildren to inherit a friendly world based on democracy,” says Cornelia Thiessen-Westerhoff, one of the participants in the campaign. “We want to send a signal before the elections: there are many of us,” adds Susanne Schaft, another participant.
The AfD is counting on a breakthrough – taking power in eastern Germany. Until now, the far right has been surrounded by a tight so-called “cordon sanitaire”, the other parties have isolated it, at least in Germany, because in the European Parliament, some of the Confederation's MPs have joined one faction with the AfD.
Facts about the World TVN24 BiS
Main image source: Reuters