Green politician Lang: Merz is to blame for the AfD increase!

Green politician Lang: Merz is to blame for the AfD increase!

German politics is on a critical scabbard, which is particularly evident in the latest surveys for the Bundestag election. According to a current INSA survey, the AfD reaches record values ​​of 24 percent and is therefore on par with the Union. This development ensures alarming voices from the established parties, in particular by the Greens politician Ricarda Lang, who comments on the rise of the AfD self-critically. It makes it clear that the traffic light coalition, which also includes its party, is of significant responsibility for the doubling of the AfD votes in the past four years. Lang emphasizes that internal conflicts within the traffic light, for example in the heating law, benefit the populists, and thus warns of the dangers of this political division. Ruhr24 reported about this explosive location and the possible endangerment of democratic values ​​in Germany.

Friedrich Merz, the designated Federal Chancellor and chair of the CDU, is also increasingly getting into the line of fire. Lang accuses him of having made populist promises through his election campaign, which can actually only redeem the AfD while he does not keep the necessary measures. Merz is perceived by many voters as to the left, which has led to a survey shift, and the confidence in the Union weakens. At the end of 2024 the AfD was still below 20 percent, but it has now increased dramatically while the Union stagnated over 30 percent. All of this is described by the Greens politician as a "own failure" Merz, which the AfD also plays into its hands. Watson analyzes these statements and its importance for political landscape in Germany.

populism and voter dynamics

The effects of populism on the dynamics of the election are becoming increasingly visible, especially with the AfD at the top of the populist parties in Germany, which is 17 percent in the Sunday question. According to ZDF , populist statements and unrealistic political demands are formative for this election campaign. The AfD uses a discrepancy between "people" and "elite" and claims to know the true will of the people.

Lang and their colleagues within the traffic light coalition see the responsibility to react to these developments and to successfully conclude coalition talks. The election campaign is shaped by the prejudice that the opinions of the majority are suppressed what populists use to legitimize their views. These tactics represent a serious challenge, not only for the Greens, but for all traditional parties in Germany. In view of these sharpened competition through populist movements, it is crucial that the established parties present a strong and positive program to offer the voters a real alternative.