Why Germany’s mainstream parties have lost their way

Is Germany’s far right gaining voters for its message, or simply for showing up?

In an essay for the Journal of Democracy, PhD candidate Luca Siepmann, together with Justin Daniels, argue that Germany’s mainstream parties have been retreating from the communities they hope to represent, just as the Alternative for Germany (AfD) has moved in. While the party was once dismissed as beyond the pale, it has made itself politically acceptable and accessible by building a presence on the ground and seizing political opportunities – namely, hostility towards the handling of refugees.

Writing just after the state elections, they contend that the AfD’s strong, year-round visibility in everyday settings has helped it reach disaffected and infrequent voters. Rather than copying the far right’s policies, they argue that centrist parties should focus on cultivating a local presence to make their national strategies visible where their support is weakest.