El Búho · Yes We Cast

Alemania: cambiar para que nada cambie (Todos los oyentes)

·35 min·3 clips
Elon Musk endorsed the far-right AfD in a German election called early after terrorist attacks shifted the campaign to migration.
The episode begins by setting up the context of the German federal election held on February 23, 2025, which was called early due to a government coalition crisis. The campaign was marked by terrorist attacks in German cities, attributed to foreigners, which intensified focus on migration and security. Elon Musk's explicit endorsement of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is noted as a campaign feature. The results gave victory to the CDU's Friedrich Merz with 28.6%, while the AfD, led by Alice Weil, doubled its 2021 result to become the second-largest party. The SPD suffered one of its worst results, dropping nearly 10 points. Die Linke, the leftist party, managed to enter parliament as the fifth force with 64 seats. A key geographical analysis shows the AfD won almost all constituencies in the former East Germany (GDR). Cristina Losada argues that the terrorist attacks were not a topic in the electoral debates, despite their prominence in the news. She also notes immigration only concerns a segment of voters and Musk's endorsement had no real impact. José García Domínguez provides data showing the AfD is now the party of workers, the unemployed, middle-aged men, and rural dwellers. He discusses the failure of Sarah Wagenknecht's new leftist party, which fell just short of the 5% threshold with 4.97%. The hosts debate whether the AfD should be labeled 'far-right', with García Domínguez arguing it is not Nazi-like, comparing it to Vox in Spain. He explains the east-west divide by citing the conservative cultural legacy of communism in the GDR and economic poverty in the east. The episode also analyzes the success of Die Linke, attributing it in part to votes from the Turkish minority in Germany. The hosts contrast Die Linke's transformation into a 'woke' party with Wagenknecht's traditional leftist, anti-immigration platform that failed to attract enough left-wing voters. They note the irony that Die Linke, a successor to East Germany's communist party, is not labeled pro-Putin while Wagenknecht's splinter group is. The discussion touches on historical figures like Gregor Gysi, the last leader of East Germany's communist party, now a Die Linke MP. The episode concludes with a promotion for listener support via patronage.
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