I’m currently updating my previous analysis of the Alternative für Deutschland’s (AfD) activities on Facebook, with a view of this eventually morphing into a paper for APSA 2015. Preliminary analyses show that their fanpage remains a hotspot for rightwingers, with high levels of activity through 2013 and 2014. For 2015, the trajectory slopes slightly downward.
The AfD’s Flügel faction has met at the Kyffhäuser monument, a century-old symbol of nationalism and anti-republicanism. Built after the death of emperor Wilhelm I, this neo-Gothic pile aims to link Prussian rule to legends about the return of an medieval predecessor. It quickly became a focus for the anti-democratic leagues of German soldiers. The…
In Germany, only 40 per cent of the population trust the Protestant Church, and trust in the Catholic Church is down to 20 per cent. Politicians will continue to fail to see the implications.
At the Hessian party conference, arch-“conservative” Gauland wishes for a “liberal” wing without Lucke, whose supporters walk out. With a party like that, who needs political enemies? http://m.faz.net/aktuell/politik/inland/afd-gauland-will-liberalen-fluegel-ohne-lucke-13620465.html
Less than a year after the election, a third MP in Thuringia has left the AfD caucus in the Landtag, bringing down the number of their MPs to eight.
I’m currently in the process of digging deeper into what the AfD and their supporters do on Facebook and have collected almost eleven more months of posts. The emerging picture is rather clear. Overall, Lucke’s presence is still remarkable, but Petry is rapidly gaining ground.
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="180"] Photo by *_* [/caption] My favourite if vaguely remembered piece of medieval history is the bit when assorted popes, antipopes, and anti-antipopes busily excommunicated each other. The AfD has reached that stage. A few days ago, Lucke forced a motion of the national executive that aims at unseating Höcke as party…
I would not normally recommend acting on any of my predictions, because I have an amazing track-record of being wrong a long time in advance. But once in a blue moon, I get it right. In my WEP article on the AfD’s EP 2014 manifesto, I have pointed out that there was a rift between…
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240"] Photo by ubiquit23 [/caption] If you are following the latest attempt to have Germany’s right-wing extremist NPD declared unconstitutional, you might be disappointed by the lack of news. Today, the federal states that push for such a ban have submitted four folders with additional evidence requested by the Federal Constitutional Court…
Welcome back dear friends / to the show that never ends: In the latest instalment of the great AfD soap, national leader Lucke is trying to remove Höcke as leader in Thuringia over Höcke’s friendly words towards the NPD. Contrary to some reports, Lucke is not (yet) trying to kick Höcke out of the party…