Cas Mudde, writing in The Guardian:
The far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) narrowly failed to secure an outright majority in state elections in Saxony-Anhalt. But nobody should take comfort from that. The party still won by a landslide. Decades of far-right election gains have made them seem normal to the point where only the biggest victories are deemed newsworthy. But 44% of the vote for a party that is officially classified as “extreme right” is not normal. It is a black day for European democracy, even if it occurs in a small east German state.
[…]
Of course, many countries are not as close to a far-right majority as Saxony-Anhalt is. But we should not forget that in the state’s 2021 election, the AfD had “only” 20% – and the average score of the far right now is roughly 25% across Europe. In other words, there may not be much time left. And, as we can see in countries such as Hungary and the US, the democratic struggle becomes harder and less fair once the far right establishes power.
Democratic politicians must therefore realise that today’s key fight is for democracy, rather than for party or power. This requires both fighting the far right and strengthening democracy. Neither the banning nor the normalisation of the far right can achieve this. Democracy neither be strengthened in isolation, nor by the politics of fear. It requires a collective effort from democratic politicians, citizens and journalists, who must show realism, resilience and restraint. And the time for that fight is now.
Cas Mudde: The AfD’s win in Germany is a dark day for Europe. Time is running out to stop the far right