| Author (Person) | Ciechanowicz, Artur |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW) |
| Series Title | OSW Analyses |
| Series Details | 11.05.16 |
| Publication Date | 11/05/2016 |
| Content Type | Journal | Series | Blog |
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The Alternative for Germany (AfD) is the first party in Germany to present its manifesto for the parliamentary election in 2017. This will have a strong impact on Berlin’s policy and the way the election campaign will be conducted in Germany. The AfD, which is currently polling at 14% (on the national scale) will force the other groupings to express their stance on issues which it has defined as the most important problems and challenges Germany needs to face. The AfD’s manifesto covers fourteen pages and is a challenge to the German political establishment and international organisations (especially the European Union), claiming that decision-making needs to be returned” to German citizens and the German state. The AfD’s manifesto, which was adopted at the party’s congress in late April/early May, is intended to put a symbolic end to the period of ideological disputes and personal disagreements inside the party. The party has already experienced a split since its establishment in 2013, as a consequence of which its founder, Bernd Lucke, left. The topics which the AfD has focused on in an attempt to earn political capital have also been changing. At the beginning it was the eurozone crisis, then the migration crisis, and the most recent topic is the Islamic threat. The party has modified its urban image towards a more radical one. The views expressed by the AfD’s leaders have differed significantly, depending on the leader; and this has allowed the party to respond in a flexible manner to current developments and to adjust the party’s profile to existing circumstances. The fact that the party has adopted its first manifesto more than a year ahead of the election to the Bundestag is intended to build an image of the AfD as a grouping which can present a consistent option to voters. |
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| Source Link | Link to Main Source http://www.osw.waw.pl/en/publikacje/analyses/2016-05-11/political-manifesto-alternative-germany-sum-all-fears |
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| Countries / Regions | Germany |
