# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Are today's right-wing populists in Germany using the same language as Adolf Hitler? An interesting journalistic experiment with Björn Höcke, leader of the most radical faction within the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), certainly suggests so.

Höcke, 47, was a history teacher before entering politics and turning into the AfD's far-right star. He is an intelligent, well-educated man who knows what he is doing when he speaks about the "thousand-year Germany" and calls the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin a "memorial of shame."

More moderate AfD leaders-who have since left the party-have tried in vain to get Höcke expelled from the AfD for his revisionist, racist views and his closeness to neo-Nazi groupings. Instead, it is the party that has become more radical, particularly in eastern Germany, where it is most successful.

In regional elections on September 1, the AfD received 27.5 percent of the vote in Saxony and 23.5 percent in Brandenburg. Another strong showing is expected when Thuringia goes to the polls on October 27. Under Höcke's leadership, the state's AfD can expect up to 25 percent of the vote-a result that would certainly accelerate the radicalization of the party as a whole.

An Unusual Interview

Against this backdrop, Germany's ZDF television received a lot of attention with an unusual interview with Höcke. To prepare for it, the reporter took two quotes from Höcke's book Nie zweimal in denselben Fluss ("Never twice in the same river") and showed them to AfD deputies in the Bundestag. These were then asked on camera to judge whether the quote originated with Höcke or with Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf.

"A few corrections and small reforms won't be enough, but the German absoluteness will guarantee that we will tackle the matter thoroughly and fundamentally," the first quote said. "Once the turning point has come, we Germans will not stop half-way, and then the mounds of debris of modernity will be eliminated."

Most of Höcke's fellow AfD members started laughing when asked about the origins of the quote. Not one of them could answer. "No, I am not going to commit myself," said Jens Maier, a leading far-right figure from Dresden. "But if I did, I would rather say from Mein Kampf but not from Mr. Höcke."

Höcke's second quote did not fare any better. "The longing of the Germans for a historical figure, who will once again heal the wounds of the people, overcome the strife, and put things in order is deeply rooted in our soul."

So was it Hitler or Höcke? "I don't know," answered one AfD deputy. "I can't answer that," a second one said. The third interviewee took a bit longer. "I won't be able to answer that question, because I did not read Mein Kampf, and whether it's from Höcke, I don't know."

Interestingly, not one of the AfD politicians took offense at being asked to compare a 20 th century dictator responsible for murdering millions of Jews and starting World War II with their fellow party member. Nor did any of them think to warn Höcke about the ZDF journalist's line of enquiry.

"Too Poetic Sometimes"?

When confronted with these answers, Höcke was clearly surprised. As the reporter showed him his fellow party members on a tablet, he gave a cautious smile. A pity that they didn't read his book, he said. "I think it's good that we have politicians again, who have the courage to express themselves in an original way and use a language that sometimes is too poetic," Höcke added. "This must be possible."

The interview with Höcke continues for several minutes more. The reporter points to occasions when Höcke has used Nazi terminology like " Lebensraum " or "degenerate," while Höcke denies there is even such a thing as Nazi speak.

Finally, Höcke's press spokesman intervenes. He explains that Höcke was not expecting any such questions and has answered in an "overemotional" way. He then asks the reporter to repeat the interview. The ZDF journalist refuses, however, and publishes the original version despite Höcke's threats of "massive consequences."

A Political Paradox

So what are the lessons from this interview? The first one is an insight into how far the AfD, a party founded as a conservative, euroskeptic movement, has moved toward the far-right. Höcke's Facebook account shows his supporters firmly behind him ("Great guy, did everything right"). Not a murmur, either, from the national leadership of the party in Berlin.

Yet-and here's the second lesson-what plays well in eastern Germany may not work for the western part of the country. Here, polls show the AfD stagnating at around 12 percent, only half of what it scores in the east. And even among those 12 percent, the share of Höcke supporters is far smaller.

The result is a political paradox: with its astonishing success in the east, the AfD may be risking its ambitions at the national level. Easterners may be more radical, but western Germans have the numbers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Are today's right-wing populists in Germany using the same language as Adolf Hitler? An interesting journalistic experiment with Björn Höcke, leader of the most radical faction within the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), certainly suggests so. Höcke, 47, was a history teacher before entering politics and turning into the AfD's far-right star.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Perhaps no other phrase uttered during Angela Merkel's long chancellorship has made such an impact. The words "Wir schaffen das" ("We can do this!") were meant to express confidence in the face of a huge, self-imposed task. In a matter of a few weeks, 10,000 people had come to Germany, mostly via what became known as the Balkan route. Many of them, initially stuck in Hungary. The majority came from Syria, but others from North Africa, Iraq or Afghanistan.

Merkel let them enter Germany even though other EU member states were officially responsible for them under the Dublin Regulation, which stipulates that asylum-seekers must be registered in the first safe EU country they enter. Instead, Germany allowed people to cross the border first and have their asylum claims checked later.

Nearly half a million people applied for asylum in Germany in 2015, and another 750,000 the following year. The interior minister at the time, Thomas de Maiziere, admitted to public broadcaster ARD in mid-August this year that there had been "moments when control was lost." His successor, Horst Seehofer, then premier of Bavaria, once called the situation in 2015 a "reign of injustice."

Merkel's political opposition voiced very different opinions about her actions, at least in retrospect. The Greens' Irene Mihalic said, "It was right for the chancellor not to close the borders back then. The alternative would have been chaotic conditions in the heart of Europe with an incalculable potential for conflict."

Refugees were made to wait for days to register with German authorities

Although Lars Castellucci, a parliamentarian for the Social Democratic Party (SPD), largely agreed with this view, he tempered it with some criticism: Germany should have consulted European partners more. "That causes us enormous difficulties even today," he said.

Gottfried Curio of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is of course more vehement in his objections. "The realistic and responsible thing to do would have been to adhere to the law ... If the people had been turned away from the outset, fewer of them would have set out on the journey and fewer would have drowned in the Mediterranean."

Read more: Are Germany and the EU prepared for a new influx of refugees?

Approval and skepticism

Merkel's memorable phrase put a lot of people on her side. Outside Germany, there was much approval for Merkel's decision. The New York Times wrote on September 5, 2015, that Germany had "held out an open hand" to refugees. The broadcaster Al-Jazeera reported that "Germany has opened its doors and borders to all those searching for refuge and a safe haven."

But some skeptics believed from the start that Germany was taking on more than it could handle. Others asked what exactly had to be done and whether the country should feel responsible for so many people from different cultures. Merkel's decision divided the nation.

Castellucci, whose SPD party, as junior coalition partner, shared responsibility for implementing Merkel's policy, would have liked the chancellor to have presented a more detailed plan: "She definitely should have said how we can do it and who has to do it. And then there should have been discussions about it in society," he told DW. "That might have avoided the way supporters and opponents of our policy were so irreconcilably at odds with one another, to the benefit of populists."

Germany's "welcome culture" lasted several months after Merkel's statement

The initial "welcome culture" that Merkel advocated dissipated on New Year's Eve 2015/16, when women were assaulted by migrants in Cologne's main railway station. Even before this, there were numerous xenophobic attacks on refugee shelters, showing how the mood in parts of the country was tipping.

The AfD profited from the discontent, seeing large increases in voter support in several state elections before becoming the Bundestag's biggest opposition party in federal elections in 2017.

Merkel has always stood by her decision of 2015, but told a conference of her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in December 2016 that a situation like the one in late summer 2015 "can, should and must not be repeated." The German government introduced a more restrictive asylum policy, and from 2016, the number of asylum-seekers dropped mainly because countries along the Balkan route made it increasingly difficult for people to cross their borders.

Read more: Migrants stuck on EU doorstep: What is Germany doing?

Progress on integration

How well have those new arrivals been integrated in Germany? Migrants are still much less likely to have a job than the average German. Only around half the people who have come to Germany since 2013 have paid employment, according to a 2020 study by the Institute for Employment Research (IAB). The generally upward trend is also now being canceled out by the coronavirus pandemic as many of those who fled their home countries for Germany are being laid off, the study found.

The difficulties on the job market also have an effect on criminality. According to the annual report on crime in the context of immigration issued by the Federal Criminal Police Office, immigrants are disproportionately involved in violent crime including murder, manslaughter, assault and rape. But this is partly because many of the immigrants are young men who tend to be more frequently guilty of such offenses.

Bavarian State Premier Horst Seehofer remained critical of Merkel's position, but stayed in government, and was eventually elevated to Federal Interior Minister

CDU domestic policy spokesperson Patrick Sensburg said a distinction must be made between asylum-seekers and those who want to come to Germany to work.

"For me, protection for refugees is primarily temporary protection," he said. "Anyone wanting to come here to live and work on a permanent basis has other means of doing so if he or she has the necessary qualifications and accepts our values."

German society remains divided over immigration policy. Around 60% of Germans believe that the country can cope well with the refugees while 40% believe the opposite. Political scientist Herfried Münkler said 2015 had "exposed a rift in German society" and radicalized politics. "The tendency towards the political center that we saw before came to an end," he said.

Five years after Merkel's famous statement, has German society really shown that it could cope with the challenge? Former Interior Minister de Maiziere said he feels that it has at least made significant progress. His party colleague Sensburg said Germany has "mastered the 2015 refugee crisis well, all in all."

Irene Mihalic from the Green Party said she sees the task as still unfinished: "Integration doesn't happen overnight, and we will keep having to work on it at all levels. But I am convinced that immigration is a great opportunity for Germany, particularly with regard to the labor market and demographic developments," she says.

Studies by the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) came to similar conclusions. They found Germany is on the way to success, while also pointing out that considerably more effort must still be made by both those who have sought refuge in Germany and those who have offered it to them.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Five years on: How Germany's refugee policy has fared | DW | 25.08.2020

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Perhaps no other phrase uttered during Angela Merkel's long chancellorship has made such an impact. The words "Wir schaffen das" ("We can do this!") were meant to express confidence in the face of a huge, self-imposed task. In a matter of a few weeks, 10,000 people had come to Germany, mostly via what became known as the Balkan route.

# data[].attributes.body
Ein Video, das erklärt Bürgerbeteiligung zu Deutsche. Dieses Video spricht über der Bürgerbeteiligung in Leipzig.

# data[].attributes.body
Albert ist ein Student in der Zeitz. Seiner Gedanken werden in den Text sein.

# data[].attributes.body
Heute, normale Bürger in Deutschland sind nicht so beteiligt in der Politik wie in andere Länder. Der Grund ist sehr kompliziert und schwer zu schreiben. Nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg lernen viele Menschen, was die Nazis gemacht haben und das sie hatten, mit dem Nazi Ideologie einverstanden waren. Millionen Deutschen begegneten Vergangenheitsbewältigung. Deutschen, dass mit dem Faschismus einverstanden waren, wurden gezwungen eine demokratische Regierung zu unterstützen. Einige Leute denken dass, nach dem Weltkrieg viele Deutschen nie mit demokratischer Politik einverstanden waren und also konnten sie den in den demokratischen Prozess nicht vertrauen.

Wenn man Deutschland mit anderen Ländern verglicht, können wir sehen, dass heute die normal Deutschen (nicht Politiker) nicht sehr in dem demokratischen Prozess enthalten sind. In der Zeitz, wo Albert wohnt, gibt es keine Bürger Montage. Der Meisten normale Bürger können sich beinhalten, ist mit sozialen Clubs. Das ist ein Problem für die Gefühle der Bürger, weil es Misstrauen in der Regierung produziert, besonders mit Ostdeutschländer. Laut das Institut für Demoskopie Allensbach nur 42 % der Deutschen denken, dass Demokratie die beste Staatsform für Deutschland ist.

Die gute Nachricht ist das langsam, mehr Leute an der politische Prozess beteiligen. In Leipzig gibt es Burger Beteiligung, die sehr gut funktionieren. Berlin auch hat einige Bürger Montage in 2019. Hoffentlich Leute in andere Deutsche Städte sehen die Vorteile der Burger Montage und beteiligt es.

# data[].attributes.headline
Politische Extremismus und  Nationalismus

# data[].attributes.subject
Politische Extremismus und  Nationalismus

# data[].attributes.body
In den letzten 5 bis 10 Jahre hat Deutschland ähnlich wie in den USA, einen Anstieg der extrem Rechts gesehen. Der Partei in Deutschland heißt der Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). Die meisten seiner Mitglieder leben in Ostdeutschland.

Die AfD ist gegen Angela Merkels Flüchtlingspolitik und ist nationalistisch und populistisch. Die Mitglieder der Partei sind normale Menschen, der hat mit den zentralen Parteien (CDU und SPD) frustriert. Auch, eigene der Mitglieder sind Neonazis und fremdenfeindliche Menschen.

Viele Bürger in Ostdeutschland haben viele wirtschaftliche Probleme und deshalb wählen sie in die AfD. Ostdeutschland hat mehr Arbeitslosigkeit als Westdeutschland. Die Wirtschaft in Ostdeutschland ist auch schwächer als die Wirtschaft in Westdeutschland. Mehr Leute von Ostdeutschland fühlen, dass die Bundesregierung sie verlassen hat. Also, sie wählen nichts für die gewöhnlichen Parteien.

Heute die AfD ist gesetzlich Faschist. Björn Höcke, ein rechtsextremer Politik, ist eine der meisten extrem Teil von der AfD, das heißt der Flügel. In 2014, er hat die Wahl in  gewonnen für den Thüringer Landtag. Er ist mit der Nazi Ideologie in Deutschland verbunden und hat sehr viele umstritten Aussagen über Deutschland in den Zweiten Weltkrieg gesagt. Ein sehr bekanntes Zitat war, dass "Deutschen eine 180m Grad wende seiner Erinnerungskultur im Zusammenhang mit dem Zweiten Weltkrieg sollen.

Viele Menschen in Deutschland klagen, dass die AfD für Gewalt verantwortlich ist mit seinem aggressiv Sprachen über Einwanderung besonders von Moslems. Viele Schiesserein wurden vom Rechtsextremisten bei der Polizei akkreditiert.

Albert wohnt in Ostdeutschland und kennt einige Mitglieder der AfD. Der AfD erinnert er an die Zeit von Hitler, und er denkt, dass sie zu extreme sind. Die Wörter er verwendet zu der AfD beschreiben sind Ungebildet, Frustriert, und beeinflussbar.

# data[].attributes.body
Deutschland nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg hat ein "Wirtschaftswunder" gehabt. Die Ökonomie wurde einer der größten und der besten in der Welt. Heute ist der Ökonomie nicht so wie früher aber viel besser als in anderen Ländern. In das Busch "Germany's Hidden Crisis" schreib Oliver Nachtwey, dass Deutschland der Aufsteigt der Mobilität nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg gehabt hat. Wegen der Sozialhilfe von der Regierung konnten Menschen bessere Arbeit finden und damit seine Familien unterstützen. Nachtwey sagt, dass Deutschland heute ganz anders ist. Weniger Aufgaben sind bei der Regierung gesichert und mehr Personen bekommen Aufgaben, die sehr schlecht bezahlen haben. 20% der Arbeiter in Deutschland bekommen diese Niedriglöhne Aufgaben. Das ist auch ein Grund, dass die AfD mehr und mehr unterstützt wird. Die wachsende Unterklasse hat das Gefühl, dass die Einwanderungen in Deutschland der Grund für ihre Probleme sind.

Viele Probleme die Deutschland heute hat, haben mit Ostdeutschland aufgrund wegen seiner unglücklich und kompliziert Geschichte. Vor der Wiedervereinigung die Ostdeutschen unter einer nicht vertrauenswürdig und bedrucken Regierung. Misstrauen gegenüber der Regierung war ein Stuck der Ostdeutscher Kultur. Die sowjetische Besetzung in Ostdeutschland ließ der Ökonomie weit hinter dem Westen. Weil Ostdeutschland heute immer noch mehr Probleme als der Westen hat und einige Leute die Regierung immer noch misstrauen, glauben viele Leute dass, die Regierung sie zurückgelassen hat.

# data[].attributes.body
Deutschland ist das zweite beliebteste Ziel fur Einwanderungen in der Welt. In 2015, wegen der Flüchtlingskrise hat Angel Merkel die Deutsche Grenze für hunderttausende Flüchtling geöffnet.

Angela Merkel gesagt, dass die deutschen Bürger eine Willkommenskultur für die Flüchtlinge haben müssen. Aber es passiert nicht wie Merkel sich ausgedacht hatte. Die Entscheidung die Grenzen zu öffnen war sehr umstritten. Einige Menschen dachten, dass Deutschland nicht alle die Flüchtlinge akzeptieren konnte. 40 % der Deutschen denken noch heutzutage, dass die Flüchtlinge sehr schlecht für die Arbeitssicherheit der andere Deutsche sind, und dass, sie Löhne senken. Flüchtlinge haben heute wesentlich weniger Arbeit als die deutschen Bürger. Also mehr Verbrechen sind bei junge Flüchtlinge begehen. Mehr Sozialhilfe auch brachen sie, und das veranlass Fremdenfeindlichkeit und Gewalt gegen die Einwanderung in Deutschland.

In meiner Meinung, das ist der wichtigste Grund für wachsender Mitglieder der AfD. Viele Leute die mit der Politik der AfD einverstanden sind gegen Einwanderung, weil sie Fremdenfeindlich sind.

Menschen wie Albert denken, dass Einwanderungen ein Platz in Deutschland hat, wenn sie an der Regeln halten. Auch denkt er, dass die Fremdenfeindlichkeit in Deutschland ist fast gleich mit allen Staat.