Special Report by Anna Afanasyeva. The German Alternative
A Saturday afternoon in a Berlin suburb, the Marzahn district. AfD agitators camp at the mall entrance.
- May I offer you this brochure about us?
- I've already voted for you.
- Thank you! Thank you very much! Soon, you'll be able to vote again if you want.
The German voters don't care as much about the European Parliament elections as they do about the Bundestag or Landtags elections. Last year, the turnout was 40% at most. This year, the agitators of the German opposition encourage not to miss an opportunity to shape the future of Germany and all of Europe.
Gunnar Lindemann, member of Bundestag (AfD): "Berlin receives instructions from Brussels on what to do and how to do it, what cucumbers and bananas to sell, and what cars to manufacture. We don't oppose being friends with our neighbors. We want to visit them and want them to visit us. But we don't want to be manipulated. We're capable of directing our own life".
Bundestag Deputy Gunnar Lindemann expects to see the numerous Russian-speaking residents of Marzahn among his voters. Last time, the district was the top supporter of the AfD.
Gunnar Lindemann: "Why were we elected? Because we have a family policy ensuring that a family includes a dad, a mom, and kids. We oppose early sex education. In addition, we're the only party that opposes the sanctions against Russia. Brussels decided to impose the sanctions. It wasn't the decision of our people. That's Brussels' bureaucracy once again. In fact, the German economy suffers greatly because of that".
21-year-old Russian-speaking German Yelizaveta Simon came here to support the AfD. She's only preparing to join the party but has already been involved in a major political scandal. It happened at the annual party reception in Munster. Left-wing radicals attempted to disrupt the event.
Yelizaveta Simon: "I heard they were given free beer for standing there and yelling "We oppose the AfD!" I took my camera and went out there with my friends to film those people, asking them why exactly they opposed the AfD. Nobody gave me an adequate response. They just told me they were against the party. The next thing surprised me: A woman went up to the stage and said "I know a person from Kazakhstan. He decided to vote for the AfD. But he's from Kazakhstan so he should go back home." I was surprised to hear something like that from a leftist".
Female AfD members are rare. It's not about the gender policies of the party but the fact that defending one's political beliefs often endangers one's life. This footage shows a brutal attack on Frank Magnitz, the leader of the AfD in Bremen. He got a severe head injury after being attacked by left-wing radicals who smacked him with a wooden bar. This is not a singular act of violence against AfD activists.
Jeannette Auricht, member of Bundestag (AfD): "We were holding an info-meeting in one of Berlin's districts and they were throwing bottles at us. They attack restaurants where we meet and threaten us. The last time was plain nasty. A group of party representatives was supposed to travel to Hungary by bus. They attacked the bus and were throwing rocks at it".
AfD faction member Jeannette Auricht notes that there's a chance she might get attacked while campaigning in some districts of Berlin.
Jeannette Auricht: "In Kreuzberg, for instance, where a lot of migrants live, we hop out of our car, quickly pull out our fliers, and hand them around. It takes less than 10 minutes. Then, we hop back in our cars or the subway and dash off. Alas, that's the battle we have to face while campaigning".
Robert Lambrou, AfD politician: "An AfD member feels like a pop star here. Everybody looks at you, following your every step. On the one hand, being popular is great for a politician. On the other hand, it still feels odd".
Robert Lambrou is a member of the AfD at the Hessen Landtag. This region is considered crucial because it's where the party was founded in 2013.
Robert Lambrou: "Please, come in. This is our plenary hall. We work here. The AfD includes 18 members. Here are our seats, in the first row and right there. Our Landtag has six parties, the members form a half circle. The Christian and the Social Democrats sit here. The Free Democrats, the Left, and the Greens sit on the left side".
Lambrou proudly says that this year, every Landtag has AfD representation. The party became the leading opposition force in the Bundestag.
Robert Lambrou: "Last year, I was sitting on the sidelines of the Landtag. Looking at the SPD and CSU members, I was telling them in my head: "Enjoy your loud applause because it's the last time you'll hear it. On October 28, the AfD will take the majority of your mandates. Then, your applause will get much quieter". And that's exactly what happened. I believe that if the other parties didn't demonize us, we'd get much better results".
Being a prominent economist, Lambrou made a decision to go into politics after the 2012 elections when he realized he wasn't willing to cast his vote for any of the existing parties, whose decisions were often dictated by Brussels.
Robert Lambrou: "In general, I had a feeling that many political parties in Germany no longer represent the interests of the citizens. I believe that the majority of measures adopted during the 2008 crisis were wrong, not just in terms of economics, they ran counter to the interests of the German people. We were promised that we wouldn't be paying off the debts of other countries".
Lambrou believes that one such mistake was Germany's policy on the Greek issue. Being half-Geek, he couldn't stay indifferent towards the problems of his homeland.
Robert Lambrou: I saw the people disenfranchised with this whole story about preserving the euro. The unemployment level skyrocketed. I was convinced that Greece had to withdraw from the euro-zone because they were better off dealing with the devaluation of their national currency. They could've been more competitive. But by staying in the euro-zone, they were unable to resolve many issues. The decision wasn't right, it was political. Brussels didn't want to undermine the EU structure and its values. It was stated that it was the only way and there was no alternative. Angela Merkel didn't want to discuss it. But naturally, there was an alternative.
The opposition politician believes that the current EU model has repeatedly proved to be inefficient.
Robert Lambrou: I believe that one of the major points was the promise that the citizens of one EU country wouldn’t be paying off the debts of other countries. But during the euro-crisis of 2008, the opposite thing was done via indirect means. In addition, during the migrant crisis of 2015, the promise that the internal EU borders wouldn't be guarded while the external border would be heavily guarded was broken. Being unable to protect its borders, the EU failed as an authority.
The urgent alternative for Europe is, first and foremost, a bureaucratic reform.
Robert Lambrou: The EU has 44,000 employees, 24 European agencies with an unknown number of employees. 4,000 officials get paid more than the Chancellor of Germany. That's 92,000 euro per year. When it comes to this monster of a system, lobbyists have much more influence than EU citizens do. This must come to an end. They must be closer to the people, hold referendums. Every country must have a veto right. There should be no majority decisions that ignore the opinions of separate nations.
The goal of the right-wing populists is to turn the EU into the so-called Union of Fatherlands.
Robert Lambrou: “We can't imagine the United States of Europe with a single government. We don't want a melting pot of the various cultures that have been growing on their own for centuries. The EU is moving away from democracy. The decisions are made by lobbies and bureaucrats instead of ordinary people. We reject the EU in its current form. We want to reform it. But if such reforms prove to be impossible in the foreseeable future, then it raises a question: Isn't Germany better off without the EU?”
Today, this culture center holds the presentation of a book by Franziska Schreiber. She used to be the right hand of the AfD leader Frauke Petry but later left the party with a scandal. The posters have a quote from her book.
"Voters underestimate the extreme-rightist ambitions of the AfD. Right now, the AfD is more dangerous than ever".
Robert Lambrou: I consider that book to be one-sided. It has a lot of questionable facts. I came here to ask her some questions because I believe that such things must be discussed before being released to the public. We could've discussed that within the party.
Lambrou has repeatedly visited such events, which are designed to undermine the image of the AfD. Some speakers refused to hear him out, others ignored his comments. But that's the first time they didn't let him in.
Robert Lambrou: I protest as a member of the Wiesbaden city council and the city parliament. It must and will have consequences. It's a public event. The AfD is a democratic party. I don't understand why you refuse to let me in.
Robert Lambrou doesn't hide his astonishment. How can that be? The loudest advocates of democracy are using an ultimatum to refuse to engage in a dialogue.
Robert Lambrou: "I drew their attention to the fact that I'm a member of the Wiesbaden city council and that I believed they were violating the law. That was the first event I wasn't allowed to attend. They pit the people against the AfD without any party representatives present".
Our film crew wasn't allowed to enter the building and attend the book presentation even without the camera. They kept coming up with excuses. It sounds more than absurd.
- Do you speak German?
- I don't.
- Do you?
- But I have an interpreter, Olga. She'll be here soon. She will translate the entire presentation. So what is the problem?
- I think we'll be talking a lot and fast. If you're so interested, you could read the book instead.
Every Friday, Mr. Willy Wimmer can be seen at this restaurant in the middle of Düsseldorf. Accompanied by his dog, he comes here for breakfast. In 2017, the world press used to write this about him: "Who's this German if Putin's his interpreter?"
Vladimir Putin: "Our guest says that he was misunderstood. Carry on. Please, continue".
Wimmer is a former member of the Bundestag, a former Deputy Defense Minister of Germany, and a former OSCE Vice Speaker.
Willy Wimmer: "The media forum of the All-Russia People's Front in St. Petersburg was marked by a spirit of friendliness".
Today, Wimmer reflects on the reasons such political power as the AfD emerged in Germany.
Willy Wimmer, former Bundestag member: "During the presidential race in the US, it was clear that sooner or later, a candidate would emerge who'd say, "We want to be friends with Russia." They'd express the will of the people, and that would help them win. The same thing is happening in the EU now. The political elite doesn't represent the opinions, thoughts, and desires of the population of the EU. So far, everything that the European voters (Germans, for instance) see is the development of the Washington-led military-industrial complex, which Frau Merkel supports and allocates great funds for. She does that instead of building bridges and mutual understanding with neighboring countries, including Russia."
Wimmer says that one of the reasons for the recent success of the Eurosceptic AfD is the democracy deficit which is becoming clear to the voters.
Willy Wimmer, former Bundestag member: "The German Constitution clearly states that we aren't supposed to participate in any military operations. In 1999, Germany intervened in the war in Yugoslavia, violating the main law of the country. It was done against the will of the people who had supported this law. Since then, Germany's been taking part in military operations all over the world. My second point is the consequence of this. If we wage wars everywhere, why do we get surprised when refugees appear in Germany? We bring war to their homes, and naturally, they flee to Germany, asking for help. Once again, the decision to accept them, to open our borders and let them in, was made by a single woman, Frau Merkel".
Wimmer says that the appearance of the AfD dramatically changed Germany's political system, which used to be sterile prior to that.
Willy Wimmer, former Bundestag member: "I can explain that by citing an example from the media, if you like. Here, the mainstream media has fallen in line, saying the same exact thing. And when Sputnik or Russia Today appear here and start presenting a different opinion, they immediately get attacked. The same thing is happening to AfD. The ruling powers believe that they have the wrong agenda and that's why they get attacked.”
Wimmer doesn't deny the fact that the success of Euroscepticism in some countries can have an impact on the all-European elections. A possible alliance of conservative forces will inevitably change the political position of all of Europe.
Willy Wimmer, former Bundestag member: We must take a look at the powers behind this initiative to form a large Eurosceptic coalition. There's an opinion that the entire Brexit campaign was sponsored by America. The UK will leave the EU and thus weaken Europe. Other countries will follow the same scenario. The second aspect I'd like to draw your attention to is the difference between patriotism and nationalism. Putin had a press conference in St. Petersburg in which he said, "We support patriotism but oppose nationalism, which destroys other nations." I'd like to draw your attention to the fact that Le Pen's party in France, which is also participating in the initiative, is being accused of nationalism. Believe me, nationalism is not something Europe needs right now.
- Do you believe the AfD are nationalists?
- It's unclear so far. We'll see that later from the way they behave after the elections. It's too early to draw conclusions.
- Greetings, Waldemar.
- Good afternoon.
- Pleased to meet you.
- Thank you, and you too. Please, come in.
Waldemar Herdt is one of the two Russian-speaking AfD Bundestag members. He met us at his home in Osnabrück.
- Waldemar, I'd like to ask about your house, the architecture is so unusual. It's not a classic German house. What's the history of the house?
Waldemar Herdt, member of Bundestag (AfD): It's part of the history of the region. The Pollmanns used to live here. They, or rather the owner of the house, was the founding father of the German poultry industry.
- I'd assume you were more interested in its history than the house itself.
- That's right.
- The story of success.
- I'm not sure he was successful. He had to flee from Germany. Still, in ten years, he managed to create a powerful poultry empire.
- I'm pretty sure that you…
- Won't have to.
- ...won't have to leave Germany due to your actions here.
- I don't work in the chicken business.
- But you're a politician, they also sometimes balance on the razor's edge.
- Perhaps that's even more dangerous than working in the chicken business.
The Herdts moved to Germany from Kazakhstan in the late 1990s with less than 100 marks in their pockets. At first, the head of the household had to work as a zoo technician on a farm.
Waldemar Herdt, member of Bundestag (AfD): "For the first three years, I was feeding pigs like any ordinary millionaire. One has to start from the bottom. I was doing that from 4 in the morning to 2 in the afternoon. And from 2 PM to 8, 10 PM, or even 12 AM, I was building houses. And when I built my own house, I was amazed at how easily it could be done in Germany".
After making a fortune in the construction industry and becoming one of the leaders of the Russian-Germans community in his region, he realized it's time to go into politics.
Waldemar Herdt, member of Bundestag (AfD): "Politics is impossible without that support. Politics is done for him, him, and her. That's what our politicians lack. Check out the EU, nobody has kids. They have no responsibility for the future. That's why their decisions are so odd".
Waldemar Herdt finally decided to join the ranks of the quickly growing Alternative for Germany party after that terrible December night in Cologne.
Waldemar Herdt, member of Bundestag (AfD): "Over a single night, a thousand rape or rape attempt complaints were filed. Our guests decided to show who's boss during the New Year celebration. And I realized that if I wanted to leave this country to my kids and my grandkids at least in its current condition, I had to change my lifestyle and assume responsibility for what's happening here".
Herdt and his supporters have a series of questions and complaints about the policies of the current authorities.
Waldemar Herdt, member of Bundestag (AfD): “Germans are ashamed of being Germans. Patriotism is almost considered a profanity because as soon as I say that I'm proud of being a German or a Russian-speaking German and that I'm proud of my country, I immediately become a right-wing radical. Even though it's considered fine in the rest of the world".
The members of the AfD are used to being accused of right-wing radicalism and anti-Islamic rhetoric.
Waldemar Herdt, member of Bundestag (AfD): "Neither my eyes nor my height fits the image of a Nazi poster boy. Sorry about that. Neither my origin nor my character fits that image. It's obvious to me that not a single member of our party is a nationalist or a Nazi".
Every time they're criticized, they try to explain, in a well-argued manner, why they oppose Angela Merkel's open border policy.
Waldemar Herdt, member of Bundestag (AfD): All elderly people of Germany have been basically reduced to poverty. After working for 45 years, giving everything to this state, building this economic system, many of them have to gather bottles in order to make ends meet. And that's not the only indicator that we see. Our savings, and Germany's always been famous for providing an opportunity to save something up for retirement, are decreasing every year because there are no interest rates and every year, inflation consumes the money we save. Our government is using this money to pay for its stupid ideological projects, their mixing-all-European-nations projects, their open border projects, meaning that everybody who enters the country illegally enjoys an entire spectrum of benefits, some of which are unavailable even to the German taxpayers.
Being a politician and a father of three, Herdt says that the migration issue has dramatically changed Germany's demographic future.
Waldemar Herdt, member of Bundestag (AfD): 1.4 or 1.8 kids. Thank God, the demography of the Russian-speaking Germans is OK so far. According to the estimates, the migrants are going to have 4-5 kids. Let's take a look 20 years into the future. What will happen to this country in 2 years? These are concerns that Germans hadn't even considered before. Germany used to mean the safest, the most peaceful, the most secure, and the most comfortable retirement possible. All those things are in the past now.
Waldemar considers himself a Eurosceptic but clarifies that his idea is not about destroying unity.
Waldemar Herdt, member of Bundestag (AfD): The EU was declared as a voluntary union of sovereign states. And that's a great idea. I'm still inspired by that idea. We've never said we want to destroy the EU. We've always said we want to put it in its initial state, we want to reform it. If that doesn't happen, this monster will fall, burying people and countries under the rubble.
Waldemar Herdt relies on his family's support in his political struggle. In turn, they often suffer from public shaming. Even the kids had to repeatedly explain at school why their dad is in opposition to the current government.
Evelyn Herdt, school student: "At first, my classmates used to wonder, 'Oh, your dad's in the AfD? What's that like?' even though my dad does nothing wrong. Besides, I'm me, not my dad".
Aaron recalls playing a political role-playing game in one of his classes. Each student was to represent a German party. Naturally, he chose the AfD.
Aaron Herdt, school student: "The teacher gave me a mean look. I explained to her that my dad was against terrorists, not refugees. Then, a Muslim girl stood up and said, 'That's right, we're also against terrorists.' A lot of kids supported us and I won the game".
Meanwhile, Waldemar Herdt has decided to tackle a new political summit this year and become a member of the European Parliament. The Kazakhstan-born ethnic German will run as a candidate for a Latvian party.
Waldemar Herdt, member of Bundestag (AfD): "Any EU resident can run for Parliament in any EU country if they have a residence there. But that's not what mattered to me. I wanted to support those small parties that wouldn't be able to make it on their own. The state system parties, which are bought with EU money, have created a serious blockade of all conservative Christian movements".
Herdt says the political depression that resulted in the indifference of the Latvian voters plays right into the hands of the ruling elite because it spares them from having to compete for their offices.
Waldemar Herdt, member of Bundestag (AfD): "0.6% at the last elections. It shows that the party basically had no chance. But when a German joined the ranks of the party and began speaking Russian for some unclear reason, it turned their world upside down and it caused quite a stir. I know that currently, about 300 people are running for 8 seats just because some weird German decided to deal with the situation in Latvia. I'll let you in on a secret. Latvia wasn't the only one. I'm doing that in other countries. Well, I can only run for office in a single country but I will support all conservative Christian Eurosceptical powers in all European states in order to make it into the European Parliament as a serious bloc".
"Our homeland is not some abstract notion. Our homeland is our families and neighbors. Our homeland is Zörbig. The AfD is the only party that still dares to talk about patriotism. We have Germany in our hearts".
The town of Zörbig is getting ready to elect its mayor. The leader of the regional AfD office fries some sausages for his future voters.
"You know what "bread and circuses" means? We've got our circuses ready. I'm frying some sausages, they'll be our bread".
If it wasn't for the flags and controversial banners, one could think these people are just good old neighbors having a picnic.
"Our town is located on the former territory of the GDR. It's still in a dire state, just like many East German towns. The locals don't feel like going outside to voice their opinion".
People still discuss minor town issues and the global consequences of the migration crisis but do it at home or in their courtyard.
Jurgen Schulze, pensioner: "I like that the AfD is going to keep order in our country. I'm talking about security here. Being able to live safely in my country is very important to me. Look at who's come to Germany. It's a lot of former convicts from Eastern Europe and Muslim countries. They come here, we feed them. And they walk around with their knives trying to stab somebody. Look at me. I'm an elderly person, I'm 72. And what do I see? My wife locks our house, all the locks on all doors and gates, not because we have big riches but because we simply don't feel safe here.
Despite the fact that there aren't too many refugees in Zörbig, each town resident feels how the open border policy has changed their lives.
"More than 21 million euro, that's the official figure, though understated, is annually spent on the so-called refugees. The government is going to increase their monthly pocket money by 15 euro. Meanwhile, the last increase to the child benefit was 2 euro, as you all know. Those are the crumbs this government throws at the feet of our kids".
Nicolaus Fest is running for the European Parliament as a candidate from the AfD. After becoming one of the decision-makers, he's going to suspend the refugee inflow. In one of his interviews, he called Islam a totalitarian religion.
Nicolaus Fest, member of Bundestag (AfD): "Ayatollah Khomeini, the former spiritual leader of Iran, once said 'Islam is political, otherwise, it's not Islam.' We want a free and open society. If we take a look at the Arabic countries, and there are 59 of them if I'm not mistaken, they have neither multi-party systems nor a free press. They violate women's rights and persecute Jews. We don't want any of that here".
For the last five years, the party's been accused of exploiting the migration crisis. One can't help but wonder if they would've been able to be as successful if the refugees hadn't committed a series of pogroms, beatings, and murders.
Nicolaus Fest, member of Bundestag (AfD): "Our party started off by criticizing the euro. Of course, the migration crisis helped us but we weren't the reason it happened. It was Frau Merkel who suddenly said that we need to welcome everyone. Naturally, voters react to the policies of the government. When it single-handedly does a series of stupid things all over Europe, voters respond by turning to the AfD. But it wasn't the AfD that ordered to open the borders and let anyone through in order to take advantage of that later. This grave mistake was made by Frau Merkel. And yet, we were the only party to express our protest".
Economic reform is another priority. Back in 2010, the participation in EU programs cost the German taxpayers 9.22 billion euro. In 2014, the sum was 15.5 billion. The major part of that sum was allocated for supporting programs for the new members of the EU: Poland and Hungary. Experts believe that Italy will be next.
Nicolaus Fest, member of Bundestag (AfD): The country's currently on the verge of bankruptcy. If Italy collapses, the scale of it will be much bigger than what happened in Greece. Even Germany won't be able to save Italy. We should probably close all of Italy’s loans, but nobody dares to do that because nobody knows how severe the consequences for the euro and the entire global economy will be. The euro-crisis is an acute issue. The local media pretends it's all under control. But that's not true. It's illustrated by the loans that Italy, as well as France and Spain, have taken out. They're all on the verge of collapse. The unlawful policies of the Central Bank are the only thing keeping them afloat. But the bank will eventually run out of money.
- And who will pay then?
- Naturally, Germany will be the one paying again. It's like Margaret Thatcher said back then: "The EU will exist until Germany runs out of money." Well, we're close to that point.
At the 2014 European Parliament elections, the party won 7% of the votes, gaining 2 of 96 seats. The AfD expects a greater result this year. If the reforms they propose aren't implemented during the next legislative period, they will be forced to resort to a radical measure: Dexit, Germany's withdrawal from the EU.
Nicolaus Fest, member of Bundestag (AfD): "Many voters are confused because of what's happening in the UK because of the chaos surrounding Brexit. But I really hope that we'll get that 15%. That would be a huge success. Then, we'd unite with other conservative parties of Europe and actually achieve something, finally turning Europe into a "Union of Fatherlands," as it was initially planned by the founders of the EU".
