Trump calls to Make Germany Great Again. In Germany, nostalgia carries a dark past.
Summary
President Donald Trump praised the far-right German party Alternative for Germany (AfD) for gaining significant support in Saxony-Anhalt’s state elections. The AfD is considered extremist by German intelligence and has links to controversial views on immigration and Germany’s Nazi past.Key Facts
- President Trump celebrated the AfD’s strong election result and criticized Germany’s immigration policies on social media.
- The AfD won 44% of votes in Saxony-Anhalt, nearing control of a state government for the first time since World War II.
- Germany’s mainstream parties have worked to keep the AfD out of power due to its far-right extremist classification.
- German Chancellor Friedrich Merz postponed a call with President Trump after Trump’s comments supporting the AfD.
- The AfD challenges Germany’s postwar culture of remembering the Holocaust and has been accused of antisemitic and anti-Muslim rhetoric.
- Critics warn that praising the AfD risks minimizing the dark history linked to nationalistic nostalgia in Germany.
- Some U.S. figures like Elon Musk and JD Vance have also shown support for or contact with the AfD.
- Jewish groups in Germany are concerned about the AfD’s influence on education and potential increase in antisemitism.
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