Anyone reading headlines about 15,000 people rallying against immigration in Dresden would be forgiven for wondering if Germany has finally caught up to the rest of Western Europe, where xenophobic parties present the biggest threat to the political establishment. I rather doubt that: The rapid rise of Pegida, the group that organizes the rallies, doesnt yet signal a shift in national politics -- although it soon might, if it earns the attention of a political party offering broader anti-establishment appeal and an outside backer, like Russian President Vladimir Putin, willing to bankroll the effort. [...] Russia is already relatively popular in eastern Germany, which has traditional economic ties with the former Soviet empire. It shouldnt be a suprise that the Pegida protests have already featured elements of a pro-Russian agenda into the Pegida protests. Though the groups program focuses on immigration, the protests have also attracted German pacifists who object to Merkels hard line against Russia. Last Mondays rally also featured pro-Russian slogans, including Putin, Help Us! [...] Yet it might be worth investigating whether immigration is indeed the protesters biggest grievance. It could be that they simply feel underrepresented by the mainstream parties and in search for an alternative -- politically homeless and consumed by a thirst for leadership, as Jasper von Altenbockum described them in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. That could make the Dresden protesters a convenient lever for an ambitious populist party -- and convenient pawns for Putins new European game.
Posted on: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 22:00:00 +0000
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