In a Gazeta.pl podcast, Berlin‑based journalist Urszula Ptak argues that Germany’s political polarization is deepening and a party more radical than the AfD could emerge.
Radicalization in Germany Is Extremely Strong
In the latest episode of Gazeta.pl’s podcast “To nie takie proste,” host Grzegorz Sroczyński interviewed Urszula Ptak, a Berlin‑based journalist. Ptak said the German political scene is highly polarized, and that youth are ideologically radicalized to the extreme – either left or right. She argued that compared to Poland, German radicalization is exceptionally intense, with people living their lives around ideology. According to her, Germany is not open to discussion; she noted that a conversation like that is unthinkable in the country, and added that reality is “symmetrizing.”
Migrants Voting for AfD: A Growing Phenomenon
Ptak stressed that, while living in Germany, she does not constantly dwell on the presence of migrants in the country. Among them are people voting for the AfD, a number that is increasing. She noted that these voters claim they came to other parts of Germany and now wish to live in a “Syrian village.” They did not migrate in 2010 or 2013, according to Ptak, and seek a different reality.
Protesters Block AfD Youth Wing Launch in Giessen
On the weekend of 29 November, tens of thousands protested the founding meeting of the AfD’s new youth wing. In Giessen, the congress began two hours late and with few participants, many of whom could not penetrate the crowd of demonstrators. Protest lines on city streets and on entry roads halted visits from far‑right leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, as well as new youth‑wing head Jean‑Pascal Hohm. The rebranded youth group, named Generation Deutschland, succeeded the dissolved AfD youth wing “Młoda Alternatywa,” and residents of Giessen and protestors from other parts of the country opposed its formation.