Alice Weidel launches a comprehensive attack against the traffic light coalition. In her speech during the general debate, she turns into a force of nature, almost everyone from the government gets hit. Numerous incendiary speech images are fired off by the AfD leader towards the traffic light coalition.
In doing so, she does not shy away from personal attacks, such as against Baerbock or Habeck. She speaks of a “burning” and “devastated” Germany and that the traffic light coalition is to blame. She rambles about conspiracy campaigns against the AfD and once again reaches for the apparently still not worn out right-wing narrative of the “lying press”.
The highlight and at the same time sad conclusion of Weidel’s angry speech then also made those in parliament and in the audience sit up and take notice, who had actually already tuned out due to the constant populist shouting. In the final sentence, Weidel hurls at Scholz and his cabinet: “This government hates Germany!”
Hatred for the Germany as it is today really exists
One must really let that sink in.
Hatred for Germany?
Yes, it really exists. It is actually there. It is a hatred for Germany as it is today – open-minded, diverse, tolerant, democratic, aware of its past. However, this hatred is not fueled by the federal government. It is Alice Weidel and her AfD who truly hate our country.
And the hatred comes in various forms. It is directed against
- Migrants and people with a migration background,
- tolerance, diversity and dissenting opinions,
- journalists and the media,
- democratic processes, decisions, and much more.
Weidel projects the hatred sown by her party onto the federal government
Alice Weidel knows, of course, that the traffic light coalition does not hate Germany, but in fact must love it quite a bit (otherwise Scholz, Habeck, and Lindner would hardly bear the coalition squabbles).
Nevertheless, Weidel projects the hatred sown by her party onto the federal government she despises. The calculation is clear. Weidel wants to divert attention – from anything that could cost her potential voters to the right of center. From the deportation fantasies, from the connections to right-wing extremists, which may have given some AfD sympathizers food for thought.
Why can’t the traffic light coalition manage to combat the hatred sown by the AfD?
All of this is not surprising. Much more interesting and important is the question: Why can’t the traffic light coalition still effectively combat the hatred sown by the AfD?
This could succeed if Scholz, Habeck, and Lindner finally tackle the key issues effectively that concern, agitate, and anger large parts of the population: asylum, citizen’s income, pension, our economic strength, affordable climate policy.
Yes, there are quiet signs that the traffic light coalition finally wants to take action here. The keyword is faster deportations, payment cards for refugees. But the big breakthrough against the dissatisfaction of many people in the country is still missing. If it came, it would also be the big breakthrough against the hatred.
As long as the federal government cannot curb the hate of the AfD leader and her party, the democratic center is more important than ever.
Those who do not want the divide in our country to deepen, those who want a productive coexistence instead of a hate-filled opposition, must once again take a stand in these days, whether at demonstrations, in everyday life, or at the ballot box.
