Interview with Markus Buchheit: Germans want fundamental changes

What do German citizens criticize most about the traffic light coalition—deindustrialization, aid to Ukraine, or migration policy?

The great discontent among farmers at the end of 2023 triggered a series of demonstrations across the country. The government, thanks to its propaganda machinery, managed at that time to divert public attention and relativize these protests. I hope that other interest groups will finally stand up against the absurd policies of the traffic light coalition and more strongly defend citizens’ rights. The political establishment will likely once again label this as extremism. I call it democratic participation, says Markus Buchheit, a member of Alternative for Germany (AfD), a Member of the European Parliament, coordinator of the Foreign Trade Commission, and a member of the delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly, in an interview for our portal.

What did the elections in the three German states show—does denying the results of the strongest party also delegitimize voters as the bearers of sovereign power?

The recent state elections in Thuringia, Saxony, and Brandenburg clearly showed that more and more people in Germany want fundamental changes in politics. However, the old parties, by creating absurd coalitions, are trying to exclude the AfD from participating in power, even from important parliamentary functions. There is no reasoned argument that could justify this. Instead, such moves shed significant light on the old parties’ understanding of democracy and how much they truly respect the will of the voters.

The head of the AfD branch in Thuringia addressed the ruling coalition with the words: “In the second-to-last elections, we had 12%, in the last 23%, now 33% of the votes”. How long do you plan to play this game? Does this game of eliminating the AfD from coalition alliances end when we surpass the upper threshold?

The first important obstacle is achieving a blocking minority (the number of votes necessary to prevent a decision) in as many parliaments as possible. Then the old parties will not be able to avoid talks with the AfD and compromises. This has long been the case at the local level. Recently, for example, in Bautzen, an AfD member was elected with about twenty more votes than there are members of the local AfD parliamentary group.

The elections were also a kind of referendum for and against Russia, for and against Russian gas, or for and against the deindustrialization of the country. How do you explain the fact that the will of the people and the actions of the government are not aligned at all?

In my opinion, these elections were not solely a question of for or against Russia. The politically driven deindustrialization was certainly one of the factors that influenced the elections. Most people in Germany are worried about inflation and the accompanying rise in the cost of living, mass immigration, poverty, and so on. The fear of military conflicts also plays a role. All in all, it’s about an increasingly obvious wrong policy, ranging from mass immigration to absurd energy and transport policies to ideological projects like the promotion of gender ideology, which many also reject. The AfD is the only party that comes out with justified criticism, has solid arguments for it, and offers solutions. Clearly, more and more voters appreciate that.

What price is Germany paying for its irrational stance on the Ukrainian conflict?

I wouldn’t describe Germany’s foreign policy course as irrational, but I would certainly call it wrong. Germany is one of the losers of the sanctions. Representatives of Germany, including the German Foreign Minister, have repeatedly rhetorically fueled the conflict. It would be wiser to strive for the establishment of peace.

Elections not only in Germany but also in Austria show a strong shift to the right. How long can this fact be ignored?

I fear that the established parties and most leftist journalists will try to ignore this fact for as long as possible. In some countries, however, there have already been concessions regarding migration policy. For example, the Netherlands is advocating for greater deportation, Denmark has also changed its migration policy, and Poland even wants to block it completely. If this policy prevails in the majority of European countries, it will also have an impact on other countries.

The AfD is part of a coalition in the European Parliament that advocates for preserving national values, sovereignty, and a new model for the EU. Are your voices isolated?

Of course, it’s more effective to work in large groups. But even as a relatively small group, we have numerous opportunities to effectively intervene in the political decision-making process. We want fewer rights for Brussels and more for national states. We’re working on that.

What challenges does the AfD face?

In my opinion, one of the most important challenges ahead is creating a stable counter-public. Only in this way can we effectively counter the attacks of the political establishment and its media network. We must ensure that citizens are informed about our positions directly and fairly, not through the manipulative filter of the system’s media.