Angela Merkel warned Covid failure to spike anti-EU AfD chances to take over Germany


Germany’s far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party vowed to campaign to take Germany out of the European Union as it finalised its election manifesto on Sunday. The hardline manifesto pledges come as the party gears up to fight the German elections in September. But political analyst Götz Frommholz from the Open Society Foundations told France24 the policies described have “no credibility” but warned the final election results will highly depend on how Chancellor Angela Merkel handles the coronavirus pandemic in the final months of her leadership.

The political expert was asked about the AfD’s electoral prospects in the upcoming German elections in September.

He said: “Recent studies have shown that the management of the pandemic will be decisive for the outcomes of the Bundestag elections in September.

“Depending on how well it goes until then, or how badly it goes, the AfD will have more or less opportunity to gain in the polls.

“And that pretty much depending on the management of the pandemic.”

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In a scathing undressing of the parties pledges, Mr Frommholz said the policies are “not credible at all”.

He said: “The AfD is taking an anti-science stance and what they are doing is opportunistic and tokenistic.”

He added how the party and its new manifesto is “not rooted in any rational policy.”

He said: “It’s just a position that tries to feed on the fear of the people especially in the anti-vaxxer movement and the pandemic denier movement.”

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The management of the pandemic has been at the centre of German debate in recent weeks as Chancellor Angela Merkel struggles to keep control of soaring Covid cases in the country.

The crisis has spiralled to the point where Chancellor Merkel was forced to set out a plan to take power away from the 16 federal states to decide on coronavirus restrictions.

The new plan will see the central government take over all decision making in the country, going against the grain of the federal system in Germany. 

But one political scientist, Gero Neugebauer told DW News that up to this point Angela Merkel has been too slow to react and make the tough decisions the country required and added how regional decision-making in Germany has led to a “confusing patchwork approach in responding to coronavirus.”

Mrs Merkel was forced to abandon plans for an Easter lockdown after widespread objections from business leaders.

Nevertheless, German government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer confirmed on Wednesday the Chancellor continues to support the idea of a short, tough lockdown to curb the spread of the disease.

Ms Demmer told reporters: “Every call for a short, uniform lockdown is right.”

And she added “we need a stable incidence below 100” referring to the number of cases over seven days per 100,000 inhabitants.



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