Victor Davis Hanson: It’s Time for a Change, Germany

Although the Elon Musk-endorsed Alternative for Deutschland garnered over 20% of the vote in the country’s recent elections, the “ultra-far-right” party will likely be blocked from joining a majority coalition in the parliament, further alienating an increasing number of concerned Germans who believe their country is no longer the “powerhouse” of Europe, argues Victor Davis Hanson on this edition of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words.”

“But here's my point, even though they have about half of the support of all German voters, it's likely that the Alternative for Germany will not be represented. And the seats that will comprise the majority will be made up by either a socialist party or the green party, or both.

“Here's my point, again, there's a populist, nationalist backlash, a counterrevolution to the craziness of Europe. And we know JD Vance has outlined that craziness: low fertility, high energy prices, bans against fracking, open borders, dishonorment, deindustrialization, etc. But the conservatives will not have a voice under their parliamentary democracy, even though they earned a voice. And that's only going to make them more polarized. …

“Mr. [Friedrich] Merz said in a speech that given the trajectory of America under Donald Trump, he's distancing himself and he doesn't really consider the United States an ally anymore, at least he said Trump's America.

“Think about that for a second. Now, I don't want to go through ancient history, but we fought two wars with Germany. And we defeated them both, but we also came to their rescue. I think we rescued them in World War I from kaiserism. And that allowed them to have a brief romance with democracy. And then we rescued them from Nazism. They paid a terrible price. But they did lose two wars they should have lost. And then we protected them in the Cold War. … ”

#GermanyElection #AfD #VictorDavisHanson #GermanPolitics #USGermanyRelations #dailysignal

00:00 German Elections Overview
00:53 Introduction by Victor Davis Hanson
00:57 Conservative Parties' Performance
01:14 Alternative for Germany (AfD)
02:34 Germany's Relationship with the US
03:24 Germany's Domestic Challenges
04:37 Energy and Trade Dependencies
05:35 Final Thoughts and Advice to Germany
06:58 Conclusion and Subscription Info

[peterleitner-zi]

The European people are not in a democracy or a republic but they are in a bureaucracy!!!

[diannebuckingham]

Great information, Victor. My question is, WHY are ALL Western Countries (including the US) allowing so many Muslims into our countries? We know, they immediately start trying to change the culture and way of life. It makes NO Sense to me. The more I read, listen and learn, the more I envy Hungary's leadership and citizens. There is nothing wrong with saying, "this is OUR country and we want to keep our language, God and culture." If people can't abide by that, go somewhere else. It's just a matter of time before the US is going to be in big trouble, if not already.

[fettfried_oscher]

Thank you for the clear words. We've gone crazy in Germany.

[antonioportalrossetti]

Congratulations Mr. Davis Hanson. It is always a pleasure to hear your insights based on history, objectivity and common sense!

[eine.objektive.perspektive]

As a German, I can only say that the big problem of the past few years, both under Chancellor Scholz and Chancellor Merkel, was that we had a policy driven by ideology. It was no longer about really tackling real problems such as migration or climate protection; instead, there was only hollow and ideology-driven symbolic politics.

We can see today what that has led to.

Ridiculously high prices for food, energy and housing. Rising crime rates due to foreigners, with more and more terrorist attacks at Christmas markets and the like. And not least, increasing isolation on the international stage.

As Vice President JD Vance has already correctly stated, freedom of speech is not doing very well either, because any German who utters even the slightest criticism of this political course is immediately branded a Nazi or fascist. Even in various surveys, it has already been found that more and more people in Germany are afraid to speak their minds.

Sometimes, such people who simply express their opinions are also threatened with serious consequences. For example, a friend of mine joined the AfD and a few months later she was simply fired by her employer. And there are countless other examples of Germans being punished just for having a different opinion from the mainstream.

What I am getting at is that an ever-larger segment of our population wants change. For many people in Germany, too, it was a glimmer of hope when Donald Trump was re-elected president. It may seem to most Americans that Europeans hate or reject Trump, but that is only the opinion of the still-powerful mainstream media. Even if a Friedrich Merz stands up and says that he doesn't care whether we work with the US or Russia, that really no longer reflects the opinion of the German population. It is not without reason that "#NichtMeinKanzler" or in English “#NotMyChancellor” is trending in Germany. This talk of Germany having to turn away from the US is mainly the talk of left-wing socialists, that is, the people who have formed the government in recent years.

[jeffbarbour]

A brilliant summary. Succinct and to the point.

[tossemanden]

Danish neighbour of Germany. Mers statements are SO tragic and it seems as if the country is just determined on destroying themselves

[RikMartinez-lsrj]

Well said Mr. Hanson. Germany is in for a long hard road if they don’t figure things out. Without the US they don’t have a serious standing army, their energy is through the roof, manufacturing is suffering, and even worse is the demoralization of the German youth, having to be judged by the “sins of the ancestors.” I hope they get it together.

[huntersmillie]

That is how historically marginalized voice become even more extreme and fanatical. Germany will regret it.

[clearview]

Merz Party is as Conservative as CNN. No Joke!

[ValsWorldRocks]

You are the most poignant voice on the planet, Sir. 💯❤️💯

[classicfilmclips]

As a German, I'm as shocked as I'm ashamed and embarrassed at the arrogance and ignorance of our future Chancellor, Merz! Please note that he does NOT speak in my name. I consider his move stupid and irresponsible, for as you rightly pointed out, Germany today neither has a functioning economy nor a functioning military, let alone a functioning and reliable energy supply. On top of that we have continuing mass migration and hardly any allies left as Merz drives a misguided, isolationist course which, given the state our country is in, can only be described as stupid! As I say, I'm deeply ashamed and rest assured that I still consider the US our most important ally and friend, no matter what our useless leaders say or do!

[daviru]

Thank you Victor! I enjoy listening to you daily

[Cliff-ny]

The irony of Poland becoming the powerhouse of Europe is not lost on me.

[banana]

One aspect of Merz: he used to work for Black Rock.... that says it all

[JDollar]

I would prefer we cozy up more to Hungary and Poland. The UK, Germany, and France are probably over as they have no interest in preserving their culture.

[troyhamilton]

The remaining sensible people of Germany need to rally.

[anitalim]

Thanks Victor. 👏👏 looking forward for your new videos tomorrow 🙏🙏

[dazylulu]

I love listening to Victor Davis Hansen. I wish these were longer, but he gets to the point of what he’s trying to say! Thank you so much. I have learned so much from you, anytime you’re on a podcast I listen!

[alwaysask]

"Democracy" in Germany (and most of Europe) means the people's voice is not heard. That cannot end well.