On an election day, neo-Nazis marched in Berlin front-to-front with left activists. Many voters are still undecided: one in five did not know yet, this Saturday, who to vote for.
The winds of Portugal are those coming from Europe. With immigration and security to dominate headlines, up to 61 million people go to the polls this Sunday in a Completely fractured Germany ideologically.
Nearly 200 neonazis paraded in Berlin This Saturday, the eve of legislative elections in Germany, under the appearances of popular and many more anti -fascist activists, with a huge police operation to avoid confrontations.
Convivated by a former member of the Far-right Alternative Party for Germany (AFD), Ferhat Sentürk, who had already organized an event in the German capital last December that ended in clashes between police and leftist activists, today’s demonstration, allegedly “Against leftist extremism and politically motivated violence”It took place under strong security measures, with the police setting up barricades throughout the parade path and highlighting hundreds of agents, including the intervention force.
All access to Friedrichstrasse’s Train Station, the meeting point for far-right protesters, were blocked by the police, who only let residents or journalists pass, as well as all the way, about 1.5 kilometers, that the neonazis, mostly very young and covered facesome of which with Germany flags, they traveled to the Berlin Central Railway Station.
Led by Sentürk-accused of defending Nazi ideology, but whose Turkish roots lead elements of the German far-right to reject participate in their initiatives-about 200 neo-Nazi protesters have been singing songs along the way, “against leftist extremism “And” the red plague “, and for a “Germany above all”.
Anti -fascist answered
Still, along the way for Friedrichstrasse, there were several popular to scream, from the windows, slogans against the protesters, who responded with insults, under the awareness of the security forces, said Lusa at the scene.
Backwards were the many anti-fascist activists focused on various points around the trains, including hundreds in Bertolt-Brecht Square, who watched the procession starting by anti-fascist words and repeatedly shouting the motto “Alert, alert, anti -fascist alert”while playing horns to ‘drown out’ the slogans of the neo -Nazis.
One of the young people involved in this counter -nifestation, Leon, explained to Lusa, while busy the sound installation mounted on the site, which belongs to the Coletivo straightenedpresented as anti -fascist and against fake news and conspiracy theories. He assured that he will always go out to the street when there are manifestations of neonazis, who, argued, “should be prohibitedbecause all their ideology goes against the values of democratic society. ”
Hate speech is a crime in Germany
And in fact, in Germany, freedom of expression has more limits than in other countries such as the US. In the country that has a dark Nazi past, It is a crime to insult and spread lies on others. It is also a crime to publicly deny the genocide of the Jewish people committed by the Nazi regime of Adolf Hitler-fits the incitement of hatred. But expressing political opinions without hate speech is allowed.
“Freedom of expression and freedom of meeting protect all kinds of opinions, even at the ends of the political spectrum,” explains lawyer Ralf Poscher, director of the Max Planck Institute,. This is why the manifestations of right -wing extremists are allowed in Germany.
Only when the enemies of the Constitution organize themselves can the state fight them. Thus, parties can also be prohibited. The so -called “defensive” democracy aims to prevent Germany from becoming a dictatorship again.
A “tragedy” that antifascists want to avoid
Young Leon also revealed, perspecting the Sunday elections, which, like many thousands of young people in recent weeks, has become a member of the Die Linke Party (the left), therefore, “In the current scenario, it would be a tragedy on the left not being represented in Bundestag”The German Parliament.
“I don’t even agree with everything the party defends, namely the end of military support to Ukraine, but a unification movement is needed to ensure that the left has a voice in Parliament,” he said, adding that his “Greater fear” Regarding the new political framework out of Sunday’s elections is a possible future collaboration between CDU conservatives, which leads all polls, and AFD.
But a coalition with Alice Weidel’s far-right seems less likelyalthough the “anti-lgbt lesbian” has about 20% of voting intentions.
What to expect
This Saturday’s demonstrations took place at less than 24 hours that the Germans were called to the polls for early legislative elections. Germany is increasingly divided, and Many voters are still undecided: one in five did not know yet, this Saturday, who to vote for.
As Survey points out that the far-right party alternative to Germany is the second most voted political force, around 20%, only surpassed by CDU conservatives, Friedrich Merze .
Merz blames Merkel for immigration and was already talking as a winner this Friday.
“We hope the best, but we get ready for the worst. It may be that we Europeans now have to finally assume the safety of our continent with our own hands, ”said the CDU leader:” American guarantees no longer exist. “
And one government composed by CDU and the SPD socialistsfrom the still Chancellor Olaf Scholz? The still smiling chancellor has already assured that “enters the plane” if Merz is the “pilot”. If Merz would take him? “It depends on the trip,” replied the one who should win this Sunday’s elections.
How do elections work in Germany?
If a party obtains 50% of the votes, it will effectively have representatives to enforce its own agenda, but it is unlikely to happen. German parties usually need to partner with one or more parties to form a coalition with enough votes to control Bundestag.
Traditionally, the party candidate who gets the largest number of votes becomes a chancellor. The party leader who obtained fewer votes in the coalition is often chosen as Foreign Minister. The chancellor presents his choices to the president, who appoints government members.
The fundamental law – the German constitution – stipulates that the first session of the new Bundestag should occur within 30 days after the election.
The president officially proposes the chancellor candidate, who has to obtain the absolute majority of the votes. If the candidate fails, Bundestag members can choose another candidate and submit to a vote within 15 days. It will be necessary, again, an absolute majority.
If no candidate obtains the absolute majority in the second round of voting, a final vote should be held. Those who receive the most votes in this round will be elected by simple majority.
If the chancellor is elected with an absolute majority, the president should name him within seven days. If the elected person obtains only a simple majority in the third shift, the president should name it within seven days or dissolve the Bundestag, triggering new elections within 60 days.
