The esteemed Berlin historian, Wolfgang Benz, expresses concern over the political developments in Germany. “We are standing at a point that we have not been since May 8, 1945: A party with extreme right-wing phrases and postulates can bind approximately twenty percent of voters and is the second strongest faction in the Bundestag” he stated in an interview with the “Rheinischen Post” (Friday edition).
Considering the power dynamics since the Bundestag election in the parliament, Benz added, “At least, we are entering a time where we must be concerned that something could happen again, which occurred in 1933. That is, conservatives forming alliances with right-wing extremists in a mistaken assessment. This was the case with the Reich Chancellor Franz von Papen, one of the most unfortunate politicians in German history. He believed he could tame the right-wing extremists, use them for his own purposes and then discard them. That was a disastrous mistake, as it meant a departure from democracy.”
Reflecting on the controversial Bundestag vote on migration policy at the end of January, the scientist said, “If then in 2025, the head of the strongest party, CDU, in the Bundestag invites the AfD into an alliance during the election campaign on the topic of migration to pass a certain law, the historian would perceive this as a breach of taboo.