Leadership in Germany

Chancellor Angela Merkel and her party are losing ground. They are going through a party leadership crisis as well. On the other hand, Alternative for Germany (AfD), the extreme-right party that is host to a good number of Neo-Nazis, is getting stronger. Both facts are bad for Germany and for Europe. And to add to the crisis, we have a very weak Social-Democrat Party, a disappearing SPD.

It is a major paradox to have a political impasse and so much extremism in a wealthy and well-functioning democracy. President Clinton used to say, it’s the economy, stupid! That’s not true in the case of Germany. It’s the national identity issue that is at play. Germany has become an ethnically diverse society. That was further accentuated after the mass migratory flows of 2015. And all this has not been properly addressed. Inclusion is more than learning the language and finding a job. The German situation should make us reflect about the way rich European nations deal with large segments of the population that have different roots and look different from the traditional picture each nation has drawn of herself.

In the meantime, the country must find a credible political leader that can take votes away from AfD, not by copying some of the banners the extremists agitate, but because he or she is a balanced politician and knows how to respond to the people’s views. Angela Merkel did that for many years. But her time is now running out.

Who could be next?

Europe cannot afford to have in Berlin either a weak government or a Chancellor that is not an enthusiastic European. Confusion about the role and the future of Germany in Europe could lead to a catastrophic situation within the EU. This is a crucial issue.