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German voters slide inexorably to common sense …

(209 Posts)
FriedGreenTomatoes2 Sun 14-Jun-26 18:58:04

Good luck to the AfD and Reform.
Common sense is finally emerging. The welfarism cannot (and should not) be sustained.

Oreo Mon 15-Jun-26 07:30:50

Modern Germany is nothing like the Germany of almost a hundred years ago.

Doodledog Mon 15-Jun-26 07:31:02

So what is unsustainable welfare’s in that context, and how would we in the UK follow suit, if that’s what people on this thread are hoping for?

Vintagewhine Mon 15-Jun-26 07:32:20

And where was the lovely Tommy Robinson travelling from when he had his 2 phones taken from him? Russia!

Oreo Mon 15-Jun-26 07:36:36

Thanks to Merkel they have taken a huge amount of economic migrants and asylum seekers.Often to the detriment of the local areas and people.

fancythat Mon 15-Jun-26 07:45:20

Oreo

Modern Germany is nothing like the Germany of almost a hundred years ago.

In which ways please?

twaddle Mon 15-Jun-26 07:48:41

Oreo

Modern Germany is nothing like the Germany of almost a hundred years ago.

I disagree. It is populated by human beings, who tend to behave in similar ways in parallel circumstances. It isn't about Germany being like it was 100 years ago, but many countries in Europe going down the same path as Germany did. As it happens, Germany 100 years ago was probably the most cultured country in the world. It was thriving (superficially) during the 1920s and I doubt if anybody could have foreseen what would happen. If anything, it was more likely to have happened in France, which was more anti-semitic than Germany.

We ignore what happened then - and how it happened - at our peril.

twaddle Mon 15-Jun-26 07:49:25

Doodledog

So what is unsustainable welfare’s in that context, and how would we in the UK follow suit, if that’s what people on this thread are hoping for?

I haven't a clue, but apparently it's "common sense". Maybe the OP could explain.

Ladyleftfieldlover Mon 15-Jun-26 07:54:04

Sorry, I won’t be joining in with this post either. Too horrifying.

Oreo Mon 15-Jun-26 08:03:59

twaddle

Oreo

Modern Germany is nothing like the Germany of almost a hundred years ago.

I disagree. It is populated by human beings, who tend to behave in similar ways in parallel circumstances. It isn't about Germany being like it was 100 years ago, but many countries in Europe going down the same path as Germany did. As it happens, Germany 100 years ago was probably the most cultured country in the world. It was thriving (superficially) during the 1920s and I doubt if anybody could have foreseen what would happen. If anything, it was more likely to have happened in France, which was more anti-semitic than Germany.

We ignore what happened then - and how it happened - at our peril.

It wasn’t thriving in the 20’s and 30’s actually, as Germany was having to recover from the defeat of the war and it suffered during the depression as many countries did.
Which is why the rise of Hitler and cohorts happened.
Germany was very shamed after the last war and didn’t, to their credit try and sweep the evils that Hitler perpetrated under the carpet.
Modern Germany is a very different country but like all countries including the UK could be pushed to become very right wing if they feel their towns are being filled with migrants and their way of life compromised.

Oreo Mon 15-Jun-26 08:09:22

Governments here and in Germany have allowed this all to happen by too much immigration.
Having said that, it can be mitigated by proving to the native inhabitants of both countries that they themselves will not suffer and will be put first when it comes to jobs and social housing.

twaddle Mon 15-Jun-26 08:11:28

That's why I wrote superficially. 1920s Germany on the surface was "swinging". The Weimar Republic was fragile, but it was trying to move Germany away from its past.

In many ways 1920s Germany had a lot in common with the UK (and other countries) in the present day.

twaddle Mon 15-Jun-26 08:13:20

Oreo

twaddle

Oreo

Modern Germany is nothing like the Germany of almost a hundred years ago.

I disagree. It is populated by human beings, who tend to behave in similar ways in parallel circumstances. It isn't about Germany being like it was 100 years ago, but many countries in Europe going down the same path as Germany did. As it happens, Germany 100 years ago was probably the most cultured country in the world. It was thriving (superficially) during the 1920s and I doubt if anybody could have foreseen what would happen. If anything, it was more likely to have happened in France, which was more anti-semitic than Germany.

We ignore what happened then - and how it happened - at our peril.

It wasn’t thriving in the 20’s and 30’s actually, as Germany was having to recover from the defeat of the war and it suffered during the depression as many countries did.
Which is why the rise of Hitler and cohorts happened.
Germany was very shamed after the last war and didn’t, to their credit try and sweep the evils that Hitler perpetrated under the carpet.
Modern Germany is a very different country but like all countries including the UK could be pushed to become very right wing if they feel their towns are being filled with migrants and their way of life compromised.

You'll find that former East and West Germany are very different.

Oreo Mon 15-Jun-26 08:14:20

People have a very different mindset to those of nearly a hundred years ago but will still naturally feel resentful when they see their governments acting wrongly and then floundering about with no answers.

twaddle Mon 15-Jun-26 08:14:37

Ladyleftfieldlover

Sorry, I won’t be joining in with this post either. Too horrifying.

No need to say "sorry". I'm fed up of bashing my head against a brick wall.

Oreo Mon 15-Jun-26 08:16:52

I know a great deal about Germany twaddle as am sure many others do on this forum.
All areas of every country are different, including here in the UK.

Oreo Mon 15-Jun-26 08:19:20

It amuses me that posters use an emoji or say they’re bashing their head against a brick wall when what they really mean is ‘why can’t others see that I’m right about everything’.

Oreo Mon 15-Jun-26 08:25:09

Governments here and in Germany, as a last point, encouraged immigration as the population was falling ( births) but opened the floodgates too widely and too fast.
Most of Europe are facing problems because of that, but it doesn’t mean there will be jackboots across the Continent.

Mollygo Mon 15-Jun-26 08:26:39

Oreo

It amuses me that posters use an emoji or say they’re bashing their head against a brick wall when what they really mean is ‘why can’t others see that I’m right about everything’.

Be careful!

I’m not going to contribute further on this thread, but am following what is happening via my German relatives that we have booked to visit next spring.

Whitewavemark2 Mon 15-Jun-26 08:27:45

Major Jewish organizations, such as the Central Council of Jews in Germany, universally condemn the far-right

Alternative for Germany (AfD). Leaders describe the party as a "danger to Jewish life," pointing to its promotion of xenophobia, trivialization of the Holocaust, and tactical use of anti-Semitism.

Key perspectives from Jewish leadership include:

Existential Threat: Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, warned that Jewish life in the country would be incompatible with an AfD-backed government, cautioning that a surge to power could lead to large-scale emigration of Jews.

Tactical Philosemitism: Many Jewish leaders assert that the AfD's attempts to pose as a pro-Jewish or pro-Israel party are insincere. Organizations argue the party uses these stances "exclusively" to legitimize anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant, and anti-democratic positions.

Holocaust Relativization: Leaders frequently cite inflammatory remarks by prominent AfD figures—such as former Thuringia leader Björn Höcke—as evidence of revisionist history that aims to dismantle Germany's post-war remembrance culture.

JenniferEccles Mon 15-Jun-26 08:30:14

It’s a good start, but the only way to stop the current flood of illegal migration is for the whole continent of Europe, (including us) to draw up a workable, effective plan to tackle the issue.

It really shouldn’t be an impossibility to protect European borders.

Whitewavemark2 Mon 15-Jun-26 08:33:15

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) advocates for a return to traditional, biologically defined gender roles, emphasizing a woman's primary purpose as a mother and homemaker.

The party strongly opposes modern feminist movements, gender equality quotas, and "gender mainstreaming," favoring policies designed to boost the birth rate among native Germans.

Core ideological stances on women's roles include:

Traditional Family Ideal: The party champions a "Kinder, Küche, Kirche" (Children, Kitchen, Church) ideology, centering the ideal family around the traditional married nuclear unit.

Pronatalism & Financial Incentives:

To combat demographic decline, the AfD proposes financial policies (such as interest-free family loans) to encourage women to have more children and leave the workforce to raise them.

Opposition to "Gender Ideology": The party actively campaigns against gender studies, sex education in schools, gender-neutral language, and Equal Pay Day, characterizing them as elitist agendas that erase natural biological differences.

Protection of Traditional Women's Rights: The AfD often frames its anti-feminist stance as a defense of traditional women's rights, expressing particular concern about protecting native German women from perceived threats of violence or cultural shifts brought on by immigration.

Jaberwok Mon 15-Jun-26 08:33:35

Not joining in this thread except to say that I totally agree with Oreo, which no doubt makes me a Fascist and a Nazi!

Oreo Mon 15-Jun-26 08:36:54

There is much scaremongering about Germany and ‘what may happen’.
Jews have less to worry about there than the recent wave of immigrants who are mainly Muslim.
And I say that as a Jew with historic connections to Germany and Austria.

BlueBelle Mon 15-Jun-26 08:37:02

I won’t be joining either, but to hear someone use ‘reform’ and ‘common sense’ in the same sentence makes me shudder

Whitewavemark2 Mon 15-Jun-26 08:37:10

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) broadly views Vladimir Putin as a valuable partner and a champion of sovereign, conservative values. While the party has some internal divisions—with co-leader Alice Weidel occasionally criticizing Putin—many AfD leaders defend his leadership, continuously push to drop EU sanctions, and advocate for restoring Russian gas supplies via the Nord Stream pipeline.