I’m German and lay a lot of the blame at the feet of the CDU (middle right) and FDP (neoliberal). The CDU oozes with AFD-envy and has followed a strategy of dipping its toes in far right water with its talking points. This hasn’t brought the CDU any new votes but is has done a lot to normalize casual racism etc. Many, many CDU politicians would be just as home in the AFD.
The FDP is a party that was voted by only a tiny number of people but became part of the ruling coalition. The finance minister is FDP. SInce the FDP is only interested in enriching its 1%er clientele, none of whom have to suffer the consequences of bad policies, they’ve done what they can to sabotage any attempts at progress with its fanatical adherence to austerity.
The CDU, the FDP and large parts of the media landscape the got together to write an over-the-top, frothing-at-the-mouth narrative about how the Greens are evil infiltraitors trying to destroy Germany in order to grow organic produce in its ashes. I’m not even a friend of the Green party but I wish people showed as much alarmism and disdain towards the far right as they show the Greens.
