Wolfgang Münchau: Will Germany be next?

UnHerd's Freddie Sayers meets Wolfgang Münchau

Does the rapid rise of the populist AfD party and the inauguration of Donald Trump mark a perfect storm for Germany? Wolfgang Münchau, founder of Eurointelligence, joined UnHerd's Freddie Sayers to reflect on the upcoming German elections.

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[gladyskravitz]

when someone uses the term ‘far right’, I think propagandist and I can no longer hear them. Their mouth moves but I can't hear what they are saying.

[gnupf]

Herr Münchau must have been living in the UK for quite a while as there was no mention of the rampant clan crime here in ze Fatherland. Astonishing! Inner security is a massive issue amongst voters over here.

[GabrieleWahl-Multerer-xf]

Our former Federal President Richard von Weizsäcker told me over 20 years ago: The parties are only working in their own interests and no longer in the interests of the country. This statement changed my view of what is going on.

[GabrieleWahl-Multerer-xf]

I am a medium-sized entrepreneur, used to be a member of the CDU and now vote for the AfD. Some of my reasons: Germany has moved away from everything that made our economy successful. We waste taxpayer‘s money, have built up an intolerable bureaucracy, hinder entrepreneurial initiative, have abandoned the principle of meritocracy and are currently destroying small and medium-sized enterprises while our political elite is living in a different world, entangled in power struggles without offering solutions.

[john-olofbauner]

As a Swede I must say that the slogan used by Höcke całled nazi slogan was not very embarrassing. He used the saying "Alles für Deutschland". The current defense minister from SPD said that the Germans must be "kriegstüchtig" which is more embarrasing Goebbels speech.

[aldaedalus]

No mention of the US destruction of Nord Stream

[Anglo-GermanPatriot]

I live in Germany and can say Munchau is misrepresenting and lying about the AfD.

[andrewnelson]

Germany is a perfect example of how whole nations can go mad and destroy themselves.

[yolandawartenberg]

It is amazing how they do not notice they are destroying themselves.

[Blackgrass]

We used to specialize in industry. Now we specialize in gender studies. Hence the book title "kaput".

[tmjtpyd]

I understand that this man sees everything in economic terms, but afd enjoys current support because of the mass immigration. The management of the process is irrelevant when the result is extreme supplantation of people and culture. Then you hear him talk about afd, say Germany doesnt have many illegals, and calling reemigration far right, saying the economy is just in a slump, and it's clear that he doesn't realize he is just like political he criticize for not perceiving the future accurately.

[stefannicholson]

Mr. Munchau is making the classic mistake of believing that economic issues determine whether a country will be open or closed towards immigration. I do respect his analysis. However, on this I believe he is wrong. Many of the people whom I know in Erfurt who are against mass immigration, are people who do not like seeing their communities change the way they have. Whether the times have been good or bad, the people have not been very enthusiastic about letting millions of people into the country who have in many ways nothing in common with a large part of the ethnic German population.
I wouldn't want my neighbourhood to be changed beyond recognition, so long as I have a good job. Reducing everything to a an economic argument isn't sensible.

[mrgreenteatime]

What?! Germany is suffering because it didnt properly invest into electric cars?!!
Its exatly the opposite, ffs. And this is very easy to look up..
Who is this guy?!

[CoinShow]

Regarding historical policy of Citizenship of Germany: I was born in Germany in 1968, lived there for 13 years, then moved to Switzerland and am here since 45 years. My roots are in Germany, all my relatives are still in Germany. In the early 2000er years, I decided to become Swiss citizen. In the process, I lost my German Citizenship as the policy at the time was, that German citizens had to choose, while foreigners could claim German Citizenship without revoking their born citizenship. So, I could not keep my German passport, when acquiring the Swiss citizenship.

This is one of the ways, the German Government has destroyed trust and attitude of the German people. And it is not a matter of political parties, it goes deeper.

[adabsurdumsatire]

Sorry, he is completely wrong about immigration. Definitly the most important thing for voters at the moment. Every poll backs that.

[BrunoJennrich]

he is just a liar, and is brainwashed as the germans, that aare responsible for the demise

[Iuvenal]

Immigration plays the major role and on votes coming from industrial towns for the AFD party does not mean the voters concern is the economic decline: it is because the vast majority of illegal migrants come to these major economic hubs and all the aggressive and deadly incidents are happening there, also the day to day change in the society is mostly seen in the bigger cities. It is not an economical cousality, but also the structural change in the societal picture.

[theronwolf]

One of Germany's mistakes is trying to force EVs and other trendy 'green' projects which are not supported by the market.

[paulcock]

Illegal immigrants out of Germany would be better, than this chaos.

[Patrick-epsf]

The German car industry's problem is not that they invested too little in electric cars. They are not first movers, but they invested a lot.
The consumers simply don't want them. Not without substantial subsidies.