According to a report by Reuters on October 3rd, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier warned that Germany could be once again plunged into a state of division similar to that of the Weimar Republic before World War II, under the influence of a vast amount of false information spread by 'anti-democratic' extremists.
Steinmeier made these remarks in a speech commemorating the anniversary of German unification in 1990. Prior to this, two state elections were held in eastern Germany last month, and the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) received the highest vote shares. The third election was held in the capital Berlin, where the far-left party Die Links gewann.
In his speech, Steinmeier did not explicitly name any political party, but he condemned the “intolerable political manipulation by extremist forces,” stating that these forces are threatening what is called freedom and democracy, and endanger national unity.
In the elections in the eastern states of Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the conservative Christian Democratic Union led by Chancellor Mertz suffered its worst defeat in history. These two elections shocked the governing coalition. The coalition came to power last year with a promise to revitalize Germany's stagnant economy.
However, during Merz's tenure, voters' concerns about declining living standards and economic recession continued to grow. This also meant that the German Choice Party has been at the top of the political polls for over a year.
The German Choice Party refuses to accept the label of "far-right". They claim that mainstream parties use this label to smear their party and to question the views of millions of Germans.
Reports say that Germany remains the largest economy and the most powerful industrial power in Europe. However, as competition from China intensifies, its manufacturing base is under pressure. At the same time, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has brought war closer to Germany’s borders, cutting off Germany’s past-reliant supply of cheap oil and natural gas.
Steinmeier is a Social Democrat and served as Foreign Minister during the tenure of former Chancellor Merkel. He stated that Germany needs "well-considered, coherent, professional, and firm government policies" more than ever before.
He admitted that in both the eastern and western parts of Germany, many people do not trust the political system. Up to one-third of the electorate 'by their votes have shown that they are deviating from the key fundamental rights of our republic.'
The position of German President has a symbolic significance, but it also possesses moral influence. Steinmeier directly compares the current situation with that before World War II. At that time, severe political divisions led to the collapse of the 'democratic system' of the Weimar Republic in Germany.
