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submitted 10 hours ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/world@lemmy.world

Mainstream politicians express alarm while lead candidate in Saxony-Anhalt welcomes congratulations from Elon Musk

Mainstream politicians around Europe have expressed alarm after the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) swept to a historic state election victory in Germany, while nationalist figures cheered the result as a mandate for change.

While falling just short of an absolute majority, the AfD surged into first place in the Saxony-Anhalt state election on Sunday, exit polls ⁠showed, putting the far right within reach ​of power at ‌the state level for ‌the first time since the second world war.

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[-] hayvan@piefed.world 30 points 8 hours ago

Standard fascist playbook. They point to existing problems, and promise it's the fault of immigrants/minorities etc.

[-] FaceDeer@fedia.io 7 points 6 hours ago

Ultimately what needs to be done is to solve those existing problems. You get extremists like this when the people feel like there's something wrong that the "mainstream" politicians are unable or unwilling to fix.

[-] hayvan@piefed.world 3 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

Absolutely! The bigger problem is the "centrist" politicians are useless. Almost all politicians are wealthy class, not rocking the boat is in their interests. Most of the time they are part of the problem. So everywhere we end with the choice between parasites who'd rather do nothing and just profit off whatever corruption they can get away with, or parasites who equally profit from the system but are also nazis.

True change can only come from a bottom up movement, masses make demands so politics give in. NGOs, unions, student movements etc are the way to get our rights. We want rights, benefits, we need to ask for it properly, with strikes, protests, soup kitchens, activism. Worshiping power just makes us more miserable.

[-] reddig33@lemmy.world 2 points 6 hours ago

So has public education been gutted in Germany like it has been in the US? Trying to figure out why people still fall for this.

[-] BlindPenguin@piefed.social 4 points 5 hours ago

Education alone doesn't prevent people from being mislead by propaganda. Everyone is vulnerable to it, even i am. The key is to recognise it and be open enough to change your mind if you get new information. That's one of the parts that's sadly missing for a lot of people. Other parts are lacking media competency, because apparently a lot of people are unable to determine whether a Youtuber with a name like "truthwarrier88" is a trustworthy source comparable to DW or whatever. And then there is the issue of Russian propaganda and American social media platforms refusing to moderate their cesspools due to a twisted sense of "free speech". Well, and i guess that Covid thing also fried a few brains...

[-] Doomsider@lemmy.world 2 points 5 hours ago

Propaganda works, it is highly effective. Scapegoating plays on human psychology very well. This will always work, there is no inoculation to protect society. You have to stop the behavior.

this post was submitted on 07 Sep 2026
311 points (98.7% liked)

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