Former SPD chairman Kurt Beck has voiced profound concerns regarding the future of democracy in Germany. Speaking to newspapers from the Funke Media Group, he noted that many current developments bear striking parallels to the Weimar Republic, describing the political climate as recalling a period during that era when democracy was unraveling.
Looking ahead to the state elections scheduled for September in Saxony-Anhalt, Berlin, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the former Minister-President of Rhineland-Palatinate stated that he feels “very uneasy.” He observed that none of the democratic parties have yet found an effective strategy to combat the growing support for the AfD (Alternative for Germany), a right-wing populist party, and agreed that many citizens seem willing to be swayed by the allure of this faction.
Given his views on the current polling numbers and poor election results, Beck also advised his own party to foreground the democratic crisis. “We need to discuss what our democracy is worth,” the SPD politician asserted. He added that this discussion must include addressing the danger of democracy being eroded from both the far left and the far right, though he stressed that the threat from the right is “infinitely greater.” Beck concluded by suggesting that this very debate offers the SPD an opportunity to encourage more people to become politically engaged.
