Protests against Germany’s far right gain new momentum after report on meeting of extremists
NBCJan 30
The Facts
On Tuesday, Germany's Constitutional Court ruled that the subsidies and tax relief enjoyed by far-right party Die Heimat (The Homeland) are to be canceled for six years — the first ever such ruling.
In its ruling, the court said that Die Heimat, earlier called the Nationalist Democratic Party, has a "racist, in particular anti-Muslim, anti-Semitic and anti-Gypsy attitude," which violates Germany's constitutional principles.
The Spin
Left narrative
The rise and spread of the extreme right-wing in Germany ought to set off alarm bells not only in the country, but throughout Europe since the German extremists' raison d'etre is Euroscepticism. The likes of AfD and Die Heimat need to be undercut — and quickly. While the massive German protest last week is a good sign, it is far from enough. There has to be a multi-pronged approach to battle these toxic forces.
Right narrative
Under the veil of acting in the name of democracy, Germany's elites are ironically making moves to ban the AfD simply for not conforming to their doctrine. Rather than trying to decide which parties are tolerable on the electorate's behalf, Germany's establishment should address the reason behind the AfD's rising popularity: Faced with a dearth of democratic representation, unbridled immigration, and a sputtering economy, Germans are getting more and more alienated from mainstream politics.
