Between the centre and the margins – Germany’s democratic upheaval
Commentary on the German general election by Oliver Fiechter*
Last Sunday’s Bundestag elections sent out a clear signal: With a voter turnout of over 80 per cent, the German population proved that it not only recognises democracy in theory, but also actively lives it. This impressive commitment should be cause for celebration – because democracy thrives on the participation of its citizens. However, the complexity of the election result also sheds light on the challenges facing our political system.
The results reflect a society in transition: the fringes are growing, the centre is shrinking. The fringe parties – from the extreme left to the AfD – were able to gain in percentage terms, while the centre, exemplified by the SPD’s disastrous result, faltered. The traditional parties, which were once as a stable core, must realise that their previous positioning can no longer be taken for granted.
What can we learn from this: democracy is no longer a symmetrical figure with a fixed, forward-facing centre. Rather, it resembles a distorted image with many corners and ends – uncomfortable, often confusing, but nevertheless legitimate. Democratic geometry requires all participants to constantly move within coalitions in which both the values and the thematic congruence are not always predetermined, but must be established in the negotiation process. This is political work that requires political craftsmanship and legitimises political professionals (who cost the taxpayer a lot of money).
The categorical demand for a “firewall” between the political camps is not only undemocratic, but also politically lazy: democracy thrives on compromise and the constant negotiation of differences. Equally undemocratic is the reverse argument and the resulting demand to construe a supposed democratic necessity into a compulsion for a CDU/CSU party to form a coalition with the AfD, even though the two parties hold radically opposing positions on key issues relating to the economy, Europe and the euro.
The real problem with the system becomes apparent when everyone is pulling in different directions – a situation that prevents progress and promotes political stagnation. Especially at a time when not only Germany but also Europe needs to redefine itself, it is dangerous to remain in the chaos of polarisation. In view of the current geopolitical situation, a weakened Germany in a weakened Europe would be a double blow – for the country itself and for the entire European structure.
Last Sunday’s elections showed that precisely when democracy is particularly vibrant, it also presents us with a particular challenge to find our way towards a common, albeit unequal, future. It is an undemocratic idea that progress per se must always come from a stable centre.
Democracy pulsates most strongly at the margins and moves inwards to the centre of power. The closer the parties get to this centre of power, the more moderate they naturally become. Extreme opinions become quieter when they are confronted with political reality and take on government responsibility. It therefore seems strange – especially for a Swiss person socialised in grassroots democracy – when a democratically elected party from the fringes, whether extreme left or right, arbitrarily excluded from this self-evident democratic movement. As long as parties are not banned, they are allowed.
Last Sunday showed that parties from the margins are an expression of resistance to hegemonic power structures. They are signals for long-neglected social needs. These needs must be taken up, incorporated into political work and not silenced behind a firewall.
*Oliver Fiechter is a Swiss entrepreneur, philosopher and publicist.