Latest news with #AfD
New York Times
20 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Times
She Ripped German Conservatives on Social Media. They Didn't Forget.
Heidi Reichinnek built a loyal following with rapid-fire, acid-tongued takedowns of conservatives and Germany's political establishment, a star status that helped bring her political party, the far-left Die Linke, back into Parliament earlier this year. Not everyone was a fan. In viral social media posts and widely viewed speeches in Parliament, Ms. Reichinnek, a leader of Die Linke, angered the conservative Christian Democrats of Chancellor Friedrich Merz. So much so that they led an effort this week to block her from taking a seat on a prestigious and sensitive committee in Parliament that oversees intelligence agencies. Conservatives also successfully mustered the votes to block two members of the far-right Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, from taking seats on the committee, which is usually staffed with lawmakers from both the government and the opposition. The AfD has been recently classified as 'extremist' by domestic intelligence that the committee oversees. Die Linke has not. The rejection of Ms. Reichinnek showed the degree to which social media — and its discontents — is increasingly shaping German politics. Conservative party leaders had cited Ms. Reichinnek's critiques of them, which have come at times in wildly popular TikTok videos, as reason to bar her from the committee. But the vote also underscored the difficulties facing Germany's governing coalition, which includes center-right and center-left parties, as the nation's political momentum flows toward the extremes, whether right or left. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
DW
a day ago
- Politics
- DW
Germany updates: Lawmakers curb refugee family reunification – DW – 06/27/2025
Lawmakers have voted to suspend family reunification rights for refugees who do not hold full asylum status. Meanwhile, as Germany faces labor shortages, figures show much of its workforce is untapped. DW has the parliament has just voted to put a hold on family reunifications for refugees without full asylum status—a move that's part of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's push to tighten immigration rules. The new law, passed Friday in the Bundestag, means refugees with what's known as "subsidiary protection" won't be able to bring close family members to Germany for the next two years. In other news, a large pool of the German labor market isn't being used, according to recent data, at a time when business groups are bemoaning a lack of available staff. Childcare shortages are cited as one reason, especially for women, while health concerns were the main issue that men listed as obstructing their path to German Bundestag has approved a two-year suspension of family reunification visas for certain migrants, passing the measure by a wide margin on Friday. The bill, introduced by Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU), applies to relatives of people living in Germany without recognized asylum status. It was adopted with 444 votes in favor and 135 against. The far-right AfD had announced in advance that it would support the proposal from the conservative-Social Democrat coalition. Germany's Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has defended the proposed suspension of family reunification for refugees with subsidiary protection status, just ahead of a Bundestag vote. Speaking during Friday's parliamentary debate, Dobrindt — from Bavaria's conservative CSU party — said the measure would reduce immigration by 12,000 people annually and disrupt criminal networks and smugglers' business models. Critics of the renewed suspension point to the constitutional protection of family life and warn of negative consequences for integration. Supporters of it, meanwhile, argue that many municipalities have reached their intake limits. Also in the Bundestag today, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is pushing to ban public funding for NGOs that it claims act as political allies of other parties. They argue the move about protecting state neutrality — but critics see it as a crackdown on civil society and dissent. Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has defended calls for a legal mechanism to allow military conscription while insisting that voluntary service remains the current priority. Speaking to the DPA news agency ahead of a national conference of his Social Democratic Party (SPD), Pistorius emphasized that his position differs from that of the conservative CDU/CSU bloc, which governs in coalition with the SPD. The conservatives are pressing for a swift return to mandatory military service. The minister argued that drafting soldiers is not currently feasible due to insufficient barracks and training facilities, despite increased infrastructure investment in recent years. For the time being, he said, the number of volunteers is sufficient. However, Pistorius rejected outright opposition to a draft. "I also oppose the voices that believe we must exclude any form of obligation," he said. He noted that it is not possible to predict when mandatory conscription might be needed, but said the key issue is legal preparedness. "The decisive factor is that the mechanism is enshrined in the law," he said. "From the very beginning, it was important to me that we do not introduce the obligation lightly—and certainly not unilaterally. The draft legislation therefore stipulates that such a step would require the approval of both the Cabinet and the Bundestag." "To be clear: if we can ensure our security with voluntary service, then that is what we will stick to," he said. Conscription was suspended in 2011 but remains enshrined in the German constitution. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Some 3.1 million people in Germany want to work but are not actively seeking jobs or immediately available for employment, according to data from the Federal Statistical Office. These individuals, aged 15 to 74, are part of what statisticians refer to as the "hidden reserve" of the labor market. While not currently participating in the workforce, they express a desire for paid employment. Nearly 1.8 million of those counted in the 2024 were considered to be relatively far removed from active working life, the office in Wiesbaden reported. Among them, 930,000 are not looking for work because they believe no suitable position is available. For another 380,000, responsibilities such as caregiving duties are the main barrier. Amongwomen aged 25 to 59, 31.3% said they could not take up work because of caregiving responsibilities. For men in the same age group, health problems were the leading reason for inactivity, affecting 35.5%. This group does not include officially unemployed individuals, who are available to the labor market. That number was around 1.5 million in 2024. Combined, the unused labor potential in Germany for the year totaled approximately 4.6 million people. At the same time, business groups say labor shortages — particularly in skilled roles — are part of a structural crisis that is causing Germany to lag behind its international competitors. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video from DW's newsroom in a rainy but warm Bonn, and welcome to DW's coverage of developments in Germany on Friday, June 27 About 3.1 million people in Germany want to work but, for one reason or another, haven't been actively job hunting or aren't ready to start right away, new figures show. This group doesn't include officially unemployed individuals who are available to the labor market. Combined, the unused labor potential in Germany for the year totaled approximately 4.6 million people. Meanwhile, Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is once again floating the idea of bringing back a legal framework for conscription — but he's keen to stress that this doesn't mean a return to mandatory military service just yet. For all of the latest news from Germany, stay tuned here.
DW
a day ago
- Politics
- DW
Germany updates: Many want to work, but can't – DW – 06/27/2025
While Germany faces labor shortages, figures show much of its workforce is untapped with childcare and health concerns holding many people back. Meanwhile, the military conscription debate rumbles on. DW has the latest. A large pool of the German labor market isn't being used, according to recent data, at a time when business groups are bemoaning a lack of available staff. Childcare shortages are cited as one reason, especially for women, while health concerns were the main issue that men listed as obstructing their path to work. At the same time, Defense Minister Pistorius has been defending a legal framework for conscription, though he's stressing that voluntary service is still the goal. The center-left politician has pushed back against conservative demands from within the coalition government for a quick return to the draft. He argues that Germany currently lacks the barracks and training space to make it German Bundestag has approved a two-year suspension of family reunification for certain migrants, passing the measure by a wide margin on Friday. The bill, introduced by Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU), applies to relatives of people living in Germany without recognized asylum status. It was adopted with 444 votes in favor and 135 against. The far-right AfD had announced in advance that it would support the proposal from the conservative-Social Democrat coalition. Germany's Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has defended the proposed suspension of family reunification for refugees with subsidiary protection status, just ahead of a Bundestag vote. Speaking during Friday's parliamentary debate, Dobrindt — from Bavaria's conservative CSU party — said the measure would reduce immigration by 12,000 people annually and disrupt criminal networks and smugglers' business models. Critics of the renewed suspension point to the constitutional protection of family life and warn of negative consequences for integration. Supporters of it, meanwhile, argue that many municipalities have reached their intake limits. Also in the Bundestag today, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is pushing to ban public funding for NGOs that it claims act as political allies of other parties. They argue the move about protecting state neutrality — but critics see it as a crackdown on civil society and dissent. Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has defended calls for a legal mechanism to allow military conscription while insisting that voluntary service remains the current priority. Speaking to the DPA news agency ahead of a national conference of his Social Democratic Party (SPD), Pistorius emphasized that his position differs from that of the conservative CDU/CSU bloc, which governs in coalition with the SPD. The conservatives are pressing for a swift return to mandatory military service. The minister argued that drafting soldiers is not currently feasible due to insufficient barracks and training facilities, despite increased infrastructure investment in recent years. For the time being, he said, the number of volunteers is sufficient. However, Pistorius rejected outright opposition to a draft. "I also oppose the voices that believe we must exclude any form of obligation," he said. He noted that it is not possible to predict when mandatory conscription might be needed, but said the key issue is legal preparedness. "The decisive factor is that the mechanism is enshrined in the law," he said. "From the very beginning, it was important to me that we do not introduce the obligation lightly—and certainly not unilaterally. The draft legislation therefore stipulates that such a step would require the approval of both the Cabinet and the Bundestag." "To be clear: if we can ensure our security with voluntary service, then that is what we will stick to," he said. Conscription was suspended in 2011 but remains enshrined in the German constitution. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Some 3.1 million people in Germany want to work but are not actively seeking jobs or immediately available for employment, according to data from the Federal Statistical Office. These individuals, aged 15 to 74, are part of what statisticians refer to as the "hidden reserve" of the labor market. While not currently participating in the workforce, they express a desire for paid employment. Nearly 1.8 million of those counted in the 2024 were considered to be relatively far removed from active working life, the office in Wiesbaden reported. Among them, 930,000 are not looking for work because they believe no suitable position is available. For another 380,000, responsibilities such as caregiving duties are the main barrier. Amongwomen aged 25 to 59, 31.3% said they could not take up work because of caregiving responsibilities. For men in the same age group, health problems were the leading reason for inactivity, affecting 35.5%. This group does not include officially unemployed individuals, who are available to the labor market. That number was around 1.5 million in 2024. Combined, the unused labor potential in Germany for the year totaled approximately 4.6 million people. At the same time, business groups say labor shortages — particularly in skilled roles — are part of a structural crisis that is causing Germany to lag behind its international competitors. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video from DW's newsroom in a rainy but warm Bonn, and welcome to DW's coverage of developments in Germany on Friday, June 27 About 3.1 million people in Germany want to work but, for one reason or another, haven't been actively job hunting or aren't ready to start right away, new figures show. This group doesn't include officially unemployed individuals who are available to the labor market. Combined, the unused labor potential in Germany for the year totaled approximately 4.6 million people. Meanwhile, Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is once again floating the idea of bringing back a legal framework for conscription — but he's keen to stress that this doesn't mean a return to mandatory military service just yet. For all of the latest news from Germany, stay tuned here.
NZ Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Would banning the Nazis have really changed history?
Editor-in-chief Jürgen Elsässer holds a copy of far-right magazine Compact. Photo / Getty Images If you could go back in time and ban the Nazi party, would you? Especially given all you now know about the misery the German political party would cause before and during a world war. It sounds like a rather thrilling premise. Back to the Future 4: Marty McFly versus Adolf and his evil henchmen! But in fact, it's a question far less adventurous German politicians, lawyers, journalists and judges have been debating for almost a year now. Things escalated last month, when one of the country's domestic intelligence agencies classified a local political party, the Alternative for Germany or AfD, as 'right-wing extremist'. It's seen as a possible first step towards an outright ban. Because of Germany's history, local law can be used to outlaw political parties that seek to undermine or abolish democracy. But it's actually very difficult to make those bans stick. The AfD took court action which led to the designation being suspended until judges could review the spy agency's 1100-page report, something that might take a while. This month, another similar incident around an AfD-supporting publication called Compact also returned to court. In July last year, the Ministry of the Interior banned Compact for acting 'militantly and aggressively' against German democratic values, and for saying racist, nonsensical, inflammatory crap like – just one ugly example – immigrants were turning all of Germany into a big 'rape zone'. The magazine's circulation is around 40,000 but an accompanying YouTube channel gets around half a million views. The Compact ban hadn't really worked though. The magazine mounted a legal challenge and the ban was suspended. A final decision will be made in court imminently. Legal observers say the outcome, which should come by the end of the month, is uncertain. So, too, is the plan to simply ban people, parties and publications you don't like. Yes, the Germans like rules. But can a ban stop people from being racist, nonsensical or inflammatory? The AfD is currently the second most popular party in the country and one imagines Compact is only gaining more readers with all this free publicity. Some local experts argue that such bans are the correct response, given Germany's history. But as other analysts and politicians, including the country's new leader Friedrich Merz, have argued, they can also backfire. If the AfD is banned when one in five voters supports it, the party looks like the victim of undemocratic forces, they say. And as Compact's editor-in-chief Jürgen Elsässer has said, stopping his noble efforts to just, you know, make stuff up, contradicts freedom of expression. 'In a democracy, you can't ban a magazine like Compact,' he insisted outside a courtroom before a hearing. A ban is no magic wand. Far-right ideologies and the tawdry publications that make money from them will still be with us even if the AfD and Compact are outlawed. Recently, a German acquaintance, shocked by some younger family members supporting the AfD, angrily asked them why they'd do such a thing. Interestingly, apart from their desire for an 'alternative', the 20-somethings couldn't really explain their worrying new political preferences. They have jobs and money, they don't hate migrants or democracy, they don't think Germany is a 'rape zone'. So maybe that's the most important thing about this ongoing debate around bans, press freedom and politics. We're being forced to interrogate all this. Should we have banned the Nazis? Would that have changed history? Or was something else – ignorance, racism, the shape of our relationships with our neighbours and our communities, maybe just good old human nature – to blame for the horrors that came next?
DW
3 days ago
- Politics
- DW
German court lifts ban on far-right Compact magazine – DW – 06/25/2025
Judges ruled in favor of the monthly publication, citing freedom of expression protections. The decision could also have consequences for the ongoing debate on banning Germany's far-right AfD party. The decision by the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig not to ban the magazine was a difficult one, according to Judge Ingo Kraft. "However, the Basic Law guarantees freedom of opinion and freedom of the press even to the enemies of freedom, trusting in the power of free social debate," he said on Tuesday, June 24. The ruling is a defeat for former German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, who banned magazine in 2024. At the time, she justified the move saying the magazine is "a central mouthpiece for the right-wing extremist scene. This magazine incites against Jews, people with ethnic migrant backgrounds and against our parliamentary democracy in the most abhorrent way." The judges now said there was reason to doubt whether freedom of the press and freedom of expression had been sufficiently taken into account in the ban. They argued that terms such as "remigration" and "cult of guilt" are covered by freedom of expression. This also applied to conspiracy theories and historical revisionist theories. A 2023 report from the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), Germany's domestic intelligence agency, features an entire page dedicated to — a magazine and multimedia company headquartered in Falkensee, on the outskirts of Berlin. According to the BfV, the magazine's publisher says it sells 40,000 print copies a month. The number of subscribers to the YouTube channel is significantly higher, at 513,000 as of June 10, 2025. " sees itself as part of what it calls the resistance movement, and it is seen by other actors among the so-called new right as part of the scene," the BfV wrote. "The main feature of many of its published articles is agitation against the federal government and against the current political system." Examples cited by the BfV include abstruse conspiracy theories used to agitate against state institutions and pluralist society. "Historic revisionist content and antisemitic narratives round out the agenda," it added. Moreover, the report said, the outfit maintains ties with right-wing extremist groups like the German Identitarian movement (IBD) and the eastern German regional party the "Freie Sachsen," or Free Saxons. Faeser had leaned heavily on the constitution, Germany's Basic Law, in calling for the right-wing extremist publication to be banned. Article 9 of the Basic Law, which regulates freedom of assembly, reads: "Associations whose aims or activities contravene the criminal laws or that are directed against the constitutional order or the concept of international understanding shall be prohibited." Compact's editor-in-chief, Jürgen Elsässer, is a suspected right-wing extremist who belonged to the far left as a young man. Now in his 60s, Elsässer was once a member of the Communist Youth Wing and wrote for the newspaper, (). He later worked as a reporter for other left-wing media, including (New Germany), which was a key news organ for the socialist East German government when the country was still partitioned. After his victory in court, the editor-in-chief was triumphant, saying "we have defeated the dictatorial tendencies." Elsässer also thanked the judges, who he said had weighed up all sides in a strictly objective manner. Elsässer also believes this is a good sign for all those seeking to ban the far-right Alternative for Germany party. "Because if it was impossible to ban it is also impossible to ban the AfD," he said. A ban on the party has been under discussion for years. In addition to the federal government, the parliament (Bundestag) and the chamber of the federal states (Bundesrat) could submit a corresponding application to the Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe. So far, however, there is no majority for this anywhere. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter, Berlin Briefing.
