THE RISE OF RADICAL RIGHT IN GERMANY: ALTERNATIVE FOR GERMANY, POPULISM AND DEMOCRACY

Year 2020, , 415 - 446, 28.12.2020

Müge Aknur

https://doi.org/10.37093/ijsi.837682

Cited By: 3

Abstract

Due to the 2009 Eurozone crisis, EU’s intervention into German domestic politics, rise of refugee crisis in 2015, increase in terror attacks and the German people’s effort to protect their own identity, there has been a rise of populist radical right in Germany. Alternative for Germany (Alternative für Deutschland – AfD) succeeded in gaining representation in the German Parliament as the first radical rightist party since World War II. AfD, follows anti-EU, anti-refugee and anti-Islam policies, and won 12.6 percent of the votes, making it the third largest party in the parliament after the September 2017 general election. This rapid rise of AfD has raised concerns among German public regarding deconsolidation of German democracy. This article aims at analyzing AfD’s populist policies under the framework of Cas Mudde’s (2007: 22) three components of populism, which are populism, nativism and authoritarianism, in the framework of democratic deconsolidation. By referring to the AfD party program and discourses of AfD politicians, the article will analyze AfD’s populist policies, which polarize the people as “us” and “others”; its nativist policies that claim that Germany should be reserved for Germans alone; and also its authoritarian policies, that propose authoritarian legal arrangements to expel the immigrants and refugees from Germany. While the article argues that AfD poses a potential challenge to German democracy in the context of political pluralism, civil liberties and political rights, it also points out that the German constitutional safeguards and the political culture would prevent this challenge ever being realized.

Keywords

Rise of Right, Populist Radical Right Parties, German Politics, Populism, Democracy

ALMANYA’DA RADİKAL SAĞIN YÜKSELİŞİ: ALMANYA İÇİN ALTERNATİF PARTİSİ, POPÜLİZM VE DEMOKRASİ

Abstract

Almanya için Alternatif Partisi’nin (Alternative für Deutschland – AfD) kısa sürede güçlenmesine 2009 avro krizi, Avrupa Birliği’nin (AB) Almanya’nın iç siyasetine artan müdahalesi, 2015 yılında başlayan göçmen ve mülteci krizi, artan terör saldırıları ve Almanların kendi kimliklerini koruma çabaları neden olmuştur. AfD, İkinci Dünya Savaşı’ndan sonra Alman Parlamentosu’na girmeyi başaran ilk radikal popülist sağ partidir. AB, göç ve İslam karşıtı politikalar izleyen AfD, 2017 genel seçimlerinde oyların %12,6’sını alarak parlamentoda üçüncü parti olmuştur. AfD’nin bu hızlı yükselişi halkta partinin Alman demokrasisine zarar vereceği konusunda yaygın bir kaygı oluşturmuştur. Bu çalışmanın amacı, AfD’yi Cas Mudde’nin (2007: 22) popülist radikal sağ ideolojinin üç bileşeni olarak tanımladığı “popülizm, yerlicilik ve otoriterlik” çerçevesinde inceleyerek partinin Alman demokrasisini zayıflatıp zayıflatamayacağını tartışmaktır. Bu amaçla makale, parti programı ve politikacılarının söylemleri üzerinden AfD’nin toplumu “biz” ve “öteki” şeklinde kutuplaştıran “popülist politikalarını” ve ülkesinde sadece Alman halkının yaşaması gerektiğini belirten ve diğerlerini ulusal kimlik ve Alman kültürüne tehdit olarak gördüğü “yerlicilik politikalarını” incelemektedir. Ayrıca “ötekini” kabul etmemek için önerdiği otoriter hukuki düzenlemeleri analiz etmektedir. Çalışma bu “popülist” politikaların yerleşik Alman demokrasisine özellikle siyasal çoğulculuk, siyasi haklar ve kişisel özgürlükler konusunda tehlike oluşturduğuna ancak Alman anayasasında alınan önlemlerin ve Alman siyasi kültürünün bu tehlikeyi asgariye indirdiğini savunmaktadır.

Keywords

Sağın Yükselişi, Popülist Radikal Sağ Partiler, Alman Siyaseti, Popülizm, Demokrasi

References

• “2019 European Election Results,” European Parliament, 2019, https://election-results.eu/national-results/germany/2019-2024/ (Erişim Tarihi: 04.06.2019).
• “AfD’s Gauland plays down Nazi era as a ‘bird shit’ in German history,” Deutsche Welle , 2 Haziran 2018a, https://www.dw.com/en/afds-gauland-plays-down-nazi-era-as-a-bird-shit-in-german-history/a-44055213 (Erişim Tarihi: 05.06.2019).
• Alonso, Sonia; Kaltwasser, Cristobal Rovira (2015). “Spain: No Country for the Populist Radical Right?”. South European Society and Politics, 20 (1), 21-45.
• Amann, Melanie (2019). “The AfD's Ongoing Slide toward Right-Wing Extremism,” Spiegel Online, 12 Eylül 2019, https://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/german-populist-afd-party-continues-slide-to-extremism-a-1286286-2.html (Erişim Tarihi: 13.09.2019).
• Amann, Melanie et al. “How the Alternative for Germany Has Transformed the Country,” Spiegel Online, 21 Eylül 2018, https://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/how-the-alternative-for-germany-has-transformed-the-country-a-1227360-2.html (Erişim Tarihi: 05.06.2019).
• Arzheimer, Kai (2015). “The AfD: Finally a Successful Right-Wing Populist Eurosceptic Party for Germany?”. West European Politics, 38(3), 535-556.
• Ataç, Emre (2019). The Populist Radical Right in Germany: Ideology & Policies of the Alternative Für Deutschland (AfD), İstanbul: İKV Yayınları, Yayın No: 303.
• Barkin, Noah (2017). “Merkel, called ‘traitor’, defends refugee stance in rowdy east Germany,” Reuters, 17 Ağustos 2017, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-election-merkel-idUSKCN1AX263, (Erişim Tarihi: 12.06.2019).
• Bennhold, Katrin (2020). “Germany Places Part of Far-Right Party Under Surveillance,” The New York Times, 12 Mart 2020.https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/12/world/europe/germany-afd.html (Erişim Tarihi: 05.09.2020)
• Bernhard, Henry (2019). “Der Unterschied zwischen „Flügel“ und restlicher Partei,” Deutschlandfunk, 29.10.2019, https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/afd-der-unterschied-zwischen-fluegel-und-restlicher partei.1773.de.html?dram: article_id=462076 (Erişim Tarihi: 05.09.2020) (Translated by Can Özgür Yılmaz).
• Bundesministerium der Justiz und für Verbraucherschutz, Bundesamt für Justiz, https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_gg/englisch_gg.html (Erişim Tarihi: 12.09.2020).
• Cain, Ali (2017). “The Far Right’s gains challenge German Democracy,” Freedom House, 18 Ekim 2017, https://freedomhouse.org/article/far-rights-gains-challenge-german-democracy (Erişim Tarihi: 12.09.2020).
• Chase, Jefferson (2018). “Germany’s Angela Merkel ignores Xenophobic attack in Bundestag Debate,” Deutsche Welle, 16 Mayıs 2018, https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-angela-merkel-ignores-xenophobic-attack-in-bundestag-debate/a-43801414 (Erişim Tarihi: 13.09.2020).
• Chase, Jefferson (2017). “AfD What You need to know about Germany’s Far-Right Party,” Deutsche Welle, 24 Eylül 2017, https://www.dw.com/en/afd-what-you-need-to-know-about-germanys-far-right-party/a-3720819 (Erişim Tarihi: 05.06.2019).
• Chazan, Guy (2017). “Why is Alternative for Germany the new force in German politics? Financial Times, 25 Eylül 2017, https://www.ft.com/content/55f18544-a1c8-11e7-b797-b61809486fe2 (Erişim Tarihi: 04.06.2019).
• Connolly, Kate (2020). “Germany’s Political Crisis: How did it start and what comes next?” The Guardian, 14 Şubat 2020, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/14/germany-political-crisis-cdu-annegret-kramp-karrenbauer-how-did-it-start-and-what-comes-next (Erişim Tarihi: 15.02.2020).
• Connolly, Kate (2016). “Frauke Petry: The Acceptable Face of Germany’s New Right?,” The Guardian, 19 Haziran 2016, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/19/frauke-petry-acceptable-face-of-germany-new-right-interview (Erişim Tarihi: 11.06.2019).
• Conradis, Brandon (2016). “Germany’s AfD takes overt anti-Islam stance,” Deutsche Welle, 17 Nisan 2016, https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-afd-takes-overt-anti-islam-stance/a-19194641 (Erişim Tarihi: 11.06.2019).
• “‘Cripple democracy’: How the far-right is out to shatter German politics,` The Local, 12 Şubat 2020, https://www.thelocal.de/20200212/destructive-far-right-out-to-shatter-german-politics (Erişim Tarihi: 10.09.2020).
• Çaha, Ömer (2014). “Demokrasi”, Halis Çetin (Ed.). Siyaset Bilimi, Ankara: Orion Kitabevi.
• Çalışkan, Hülya, Ecem (2018). “The Rise of Populist Radical Right Parties in Europe: The Case of Alternative for Germany (AfD),” (Yayınlanmamış Yüksek Lisans Tezi), Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Avrupa Çalışmaları Anabilim Dalı, Ankara.
• Dahl, Robert A (1971). Polyarchy: Participation and Opposition. New Haven and London: Yale University Press.
• Daldorph, Brenna (2016). “Frauke ‘Adolfina’ Petry: The Anti-Immigrant, anti-Islam Threat to Merkel,” France 24, 5 Eylül 2016, https://www.france24.com/en/20160905-germany-afd-frauke-petry-right-immigrant-election-merkel (Erişim Tarihi: 04.06.2019).
• Dearden, Lizzie (2017). “German AfD politician 'attacks Holocaust memorial' and says Germans should be more positive about Nazi past,” Independent, 19 Ocak 2017, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/ europe/germany-afd-bjoern-hoecke-berlin-holocaust-memorial-shame-history-positive-nazi-180-turnaround-a7535306.html (Erişim Tarihi: 09.06.2019).
• Fenkart, Stephanie (2018). “The Rise of Populism in Europe” https://static1.squarespace.com/static/58a2c691b3db2b3c6990193a/t/5b56f2c02b6a282123c1595f/1532424900817/2018-07-+The+Rise+of+Populism_ Stephanie+Fenkart.pdf (Erişim Tarihi: 05.06.2019).
• Freedom in the World 2020, Freedom House, Germany Country Report, https://freedomhouse.org/country/germany/freedom-world/2020 (Erişim Tarihi:10.09.2020).
• Frymark, Kamil (2019). “The European elections in Germany: the Greens move ahead of the SPD”, Center for Eastern Studies, 28 Mayıs 2019, https://www.osw.waw.pl/en/publikacje/analyses/2019-05-28/european-elections-germany-greens-move-ahead-spd (Erişim Tarihi: 10.06.2019).
• Galston, William (2018). “The Rise of European Populism and the Collapse of the Center Left,” Brookings Institute, 8 Mart 2018, https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2018/03/08/the-rise-of-european-populism-and-the-collapse-of-the-center-left/ (Erişim Tarihi: 03.06.2019).
• “Germany’s AfD seeks ‘moderate’ path to attract ‘middle-class’ votes,” Deutsche Welle, 1 Aralık 2019, https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-afd-seeks-moderate-path-to-attract-middle-class-votes/a-51493275 (Erişim Tarihi: 13.09.2020).
• “Germans support democracy. but are concerned about Islam,” Deutsche Welle, 11 Temmuz 2019, https://www.dw.com/en/germans-support-democracy-but-are-concerned-about-islam/a-49549541 (Erişim Tarihi: 10.09.2020).
• “Germany elections: AfD surge in Saxony and Brandenburg,” BBC News, 2 Eylül 2019, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49544781 (Erişim Tarihi: 03.09.2019). “Germany’s Turks plan to sue over AfD politician’s ‘camel drivers’ rant,” Deutsche Welle, 16 Şubat 2018, https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-turks-plan-to-sue-over-afd-politicians-camel-drivers-rant/a-42608271 (Erişim Tarihi: 11.06.2019).
• “Germany Elections: Further Blow for Merkel in Hesse,” BBC News, 28 Ekim 2018, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46012098 (Erişim Tarihi: 07.06.2019). “How the Alternative for Germany Has Transformed the Country,” Spiegel Online, 21 Eylül 2018, https://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/how-the-alternative-for-germany-has-transformed-the-country-a-1227360.html (Erişim Tarihi: 11.06.2019).
• Jegić, Denijal (2018). “Germany’s Far Right AfD Exploits Passivity and Resentment to Enter the Mainstream”. Mint Press News, 3 Ekim 2018 https://www.mintpressnews.com/germanys-far-right-afd-exploits-passivity-andresentment-to-enter-the-mainstream/250230/ (Erişim Tarihi: 11.06.2019).
• Kim, Seongcheol (2017). “The Populism of the Alternative for Germany (AfD): An Extended Essex School Perspective”. Palgrave Communications, 3(5), 1-11.
• Knight, Ben (2020). “German far-right AfD in crisis,” Deutche Welle, 18.05.2020, https://www.dw.com/en/german-far-right-afd-in-crisis/a-53487633 (Erişim Tarihi: 12.09.2020).
• Linz, Juan; Stepan, Alfred (1996). Problems of Democratic Transition and Consolidation. Baltimore ve Londra: Johns Hopkins University Press.
• Luyken, Jörg (2017). “Religious Freedom for Muslims: The AfD have picked their first fight in Bundestag”, The Local, 1 Kasım 2017, https://www.thelocal.de/20171101/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-first-feud-of-the-new-bundestag (Erişim Tarihi: 11.06.2019).
• “Manifesto for Germany, The Political Programme of the Alternative for Germany”, 30 Nisan-1 Mayıs 2016, https://www.afd.de/wp-content/uploads/sites/111/2017/04/2017-04-12_afd-grundsatzprogramm-englisch_web.pdf (Erişim Tarihi: 10.06.2019).
• “Merkel’in Partisi Yerel Seçimlerden Zaferle Çıktı”, Deutsche Welle, 14.09.2020, https://www.dw.com/tr/merkelin-partisi-yerel-se%C3%A7imlerden-zaferle-%C3%A7%C4%B1kt%C4%B1/a-54915660
• “Merkel’s CDU suffers worst ever result in Hamburg elections”, The Guardian, 23 Şubat 2020, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/23/far-right-afd-ejected-from-hamburg-state-parliament-after-attack.
• Merkel, Wolfgang (2004). “Embedded and Defective Democracies”. Democratization, 11(5), 33-58.
• “More than half of Germans believe democracy in danger: survey,” Deutsche Welle, 12 Eylül 2019, https://www.dw.com/en/more-than-half-of-germans-believe-democracy-in-danger-survey/a-50401468 (Erişim Tarihi: 04.09.2020).
• Mudde, Cas (2017). “What the Stunning Success of AfD means for Germany and Europe,” The Guardian, 24 Eylül 2017, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/sep/24/germany-elections-afd-europe-immigration-merkel-radical-right (Erişim Tarihi: 11.06.2019).
• Mudde Cas; Kaltwasser, Rovira, Cristobal (2011). “Voice of the Peoples? Populism in Europe and Latin America Compared,” Kellogg Institute, The Helen Kellogg Institute for International Studies, Working Paper 378, July 2011, https://kellogg.nd.edu/sites/default/files/old_files/documents/378_0.pdf (Erişim Tarihi: 10.06.2019).
• Mudde, Cas (2007). Populist Radical Right Parties in Europe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Mudde, Cas (2004). “The Populist Zeitgeist”. Government and Opposition, 39(4), 541-563.
• “‘Not part of Germany’: German right-wing AfD party adopts anti-Islamic manifest” RT, 1 Mayıs 2016, https://www.rt.com/news/341558-afd-germany-islam-manifesto/ (Erişim Tarihi: 03.06.2019).
• Oltermann, Philip (2016). “German rightwing party apologises for Jerome Boateng comments,” The Guardian, 29 Mayıs 2016, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/29/german-far-right-party-row-jerome-boateng-neighbour-comments (Erişim Tarihi: 10.06.2019).
• Rattay, Wolfgang (2016). “‘Not Part of Germany’: German Right-Wing AfD Party Adopts Anti-Islamic Manifesto,” Reuter, 1 Mayıs 2016, https://www.rt.com/news/341558-afd-germany-islam-manifesto/ (Erişim Tarihi: 06.06.2019).
• Scally, Derek (2016). “Germany’s populist AfD steps up anti-Muslim policies,” Irish Times, 18 Nisan 2016, https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/germany-s-populist-afd-steps-up-anti-muslim-policies-1.2614789 (Erişim Tarihi: 11.06.2019).
• Schubert, Attika (2014). “Bavarians vote in election that may spell doom for Merkel,” CNN, 14.10.2018, https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/14/europe/bavaria-election-merkel-germany-intl/index.html (Erişim Tarihi: 06.09.2020).
• Schucmacher, Elizabeth (2016). “German AfD Leader Petry steps up Rhetoric ahead of meeting the Muslim Council,” Deutsche Welle, 22.05.2016, https://www.dw.com/en/german-afd-leader-petry-steps-up-rhetoric-ahead-of-meeting-with-muslim-council/a-19275574 (Erişim Tarihi: 16.06.2019).
• Schumpeter, Peter (1976). Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy. Fifth Edition, Londra - New York: Routledge.
• Staudenmarien, Rebecca (2017). “Gay in the AfD: Talking with LGBT supporters of Germany’s Populist Party,” Deutsche Welle, 17 Mart 2017, https://www.dw.com/en/gay-in-the-afd-talking-with-lgbt-supporters-of-germanys-populist-party/a-38002368 (Erişim Tarihi: 06.06.2019).
• Stone, Jon (2017). “Germany’s new far-right party AfD says it will fight an ‘invasion of foreigners’” Independent, 25 Eylül 2017, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/german-election-results-afd-far-right-merkel-alexander-gauland-2017-coalition-invasion-of-foreigners-a7965886.html (Erişim Tarihi: 11.06.2019).
• “Thüringen’deki seçimler Berlin’deki ortakları sarstı,” Deutsche Welle, 28.10.2019, https://www.dw.com/tr/th%C3%BCringendeki-se%C3%A7imler-berlindeki-ortaklar%C4%B1-sarst%C4%B1/a-51012574 (Erişim Tarihi: 30.10.2019).