In December, when the German government is led Prime Minister Olaf Scholz It lost Congress' confidence and caused a general election. It also sparked fears of deepening the international crisis as well as the domestic crisis.
Between the growing aggression of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the shift towards a more volatile US regime, news of another divisive German election was greeted with deep concern.
By the time the election results were announced, transatlantic tensions had risen. This is because it has become increasingly clear that President Trump has not shared the views of the United Front between the United States and Europe by stopping Putin's invasion. Trump has begun to impose tariffs on European goods, which threatens a recovery in an already low-performance economy.
The outcome of the German election should be met with a mixture of relief and serious concern. Reliability is despite it The rise of far-right alternatives of the German or AFD party; We are not in a position to win elections or prevent the biggest political parties from forming a governing coalition without them.
However, some of its members were associated with Neo-Nazis, managing more than 10 million votes (over 20% of the total), despite being justified as normalized and justified extreme anti-immigrants. The rhetoric of state and Koubinism. In light of the country's history, this is an unpleasant development.
For now, the party remains opposed, along with some of the more repulsive policies. Germany is likely to be ruled again by a grand coalition of central right CDU-CSU and defeated Social Democrats, along with the support of many small parties. CDU-CSU, led by the next German Prime Minister, Friedrich Merz, He won the most seats in 28.5% of the vote. The SDP led by Prime Minister Deguchi Scholz has finished third. Only 16.4% of votes
Holding the AFD from positions of power at arm length, no one should fall into false sense of security. Not only symbolism, but also concrete threats, the rise of a party with such obvious anti-minority stance – its co-leader, Alexander GolandFor example, he vowed to fightForeigners' invasion” To Germany – we should not escape.
It's almost not solaceAlmost 80% of Germans rejected the AFD policybecause the party's vote share continues to increase from election to election, legalizing that sleazy idea. The fact that it is disproportionately supported by young, extremely angry men (mostly from former East Germany) can ensure a lifespan of politics unless it addresses the reasons for its new strength.
So it is dangerous to ignore Mertz's warning that the rise of the AFD is a “final warning” to Democrats. Internationally, the continent is facing a “five minutes to midnight” moment, changing geopolitics and potentially weakening the transatlantic alliance with the United States under Trump.
It's not enough to just approve of AFD's platform. It is essential that the reasons for the division between the old East German and the anger of West Germans and young male voters are addressed. To some extent, this is the issue of “economics, stupid.” Nevertheless, the mainstream German political parties Nationalist – Reductionist Nativist Right Wing To lie on Muslim immigrants almost entirely responsible for their country's stagnant economy.
Germany's economy has not been running for a long time. After experiencing postwar economic “miracles”, it now has one of the slowest growth rates in the EU. It is expected to be just 0.7% This year, after the second year in a row, the Economics signed contract. Most experts highlight structural weaknesses, including high energy costs, low public investment and excessive reliance on exports, as the main causes of this slowdown, in addition to an export-driven economy and an aging population.
It is not related to immigration. In fact, it has been suggested that in some cases more foreign workers should be allowed within the country. The disparity between the east and west in Germany also shows that it has been more than 35 years. The fall of the Berlin Wall, And the old sector continues to run deep, heavily invested in efforts to bring about a more cohesive and equal society across the country. The new government should focus not only on improving the economy, but also on improving democratic discourse.
If maintaining German unity is a large task, then maintaining Europe together and maintaining general foreign and security policies is much greater. For obvious historical reasons, however, increasingly as a matter of German convenience, Germany is below its weight when it comes to foreign and security policies. Its defensive spending is lower than most other NATO and EU countries. It stands at just 1.6% of gross domestic product.
If Meltz wants to remain true to his commitment that his “absolute priority” is to strengthen security in Europe, he will have to find money to do so. This in itself would be a tough job in a place where there is a need to work within the country's budget restraint jacket in an ungrowth economy.This will limit new borrowings to 0.35% of GDP.
Meltz reveals that he has two massive battles in his hands. One is to lead the battle against the rise of the right in both Germany and Europe. The second, equally challenging task is to lead the security of Europe in the face of a US regime that appears to be ready to put the continent in danger with Putin's overture to Russia.
How his new government dealt with these twin challenges will define the security of Germany, its prosperity and Europe for decades to come. It also allows us to redefine Europe as a completely different entity from the forefront of efforts to strengthen the Liberal Democrats.
Imran Khalid is a physician and holds a Master's degree in International Relations.
