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THERE ARE AT LEAST TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY
THERE ARE AT LEAST TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY
The AFD’s surprisingly good results in the German election mean it will have unprecedented sway over the next four years, proclaims Frida Ghitis of CNN. It's the first right-wing group to do so well in the country since the 40s and will hold over 90 seats in Parliament. This will give its nationalist, anti-immigrant message a bigger platform, as well as more funding and influence. Chancellor Merkel will need to counter its growth by building a coalition that could hamper progressive growth. It would include pro-business and environmental parties that have very different ideologies. AFD's rise makes Merkel’s government, as well as Germany, less stable.
Keep on reading at CNNThe emergence of the AFD, as worrying as it may be, looks a lot less threatening when put into the proper context, write Daniel Twining and Jan Surotchak of Foreign Policy. Compared to other European nations, the performance of Germany’s far-right was rather subdued. France, Austria and the Netherlands all came dangerously close to populists actually winning their elections. This was never going to be the case in Germany, where voters overwhelmingly put their trust in Merkel. Its strong democracy, propped up by independent media and a smart constitution, among other factors, has prevented far-right ideologies and movements from flourishing.
Keep on reading at Foreign Policy