Reacting to the outcome of yesterday’s German elections, Chancellor Merkel said she had been “hoping for a better result” and that she now planned to “listen to the worries and concerns” of people who voted for AfD.
The alarm bells of Marine Le Pen, Brexit and Donald Trump clearly were not loud enough for the German establishment to foresee the rise of AfD. Tragically, Merkel and Germany have now been hit by the centrifugal forces that she herself cultivated (directly or indirectly) over the past 12 years, particularly after the Euro crisis set in.
It’s now Merkel’s move. She must not trade the integrity of the EU to remain chancellor by endorsing the anti-European policies of FDP’s agenda. And despite Schulz’s criticism of Merkel’s policies, SPD should also redefine itself. From this perspective, it would be better to remain in opposition, think and change in order to regain people’s trust.
But this is not a time for rest and reflection – our window of opportunity to make progressive change happen is closing fast. The results of the German elections leave no room for doubt: it’s time to make a choice:
We either allow the unequal, unjust status quo to endure, which will pave the way to a return to fascism across the continent. Or we rise up and lead a revolution capable of moving towards a progressive and humanist Union.
At DIEM25 we are working on the latter. Join us today and let’s make it happen.
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