Wieskirche ("Church in the Meadow"), in Germany, one of the most impressive Rococo churches in Europe.
The results for the 2024 European Parliament election are in, and several nations have seen a strong push for more conservative parties and candidates. For example, in Germany, most citizens either voted for the center-right Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) or the euro-skeptic, right-wing Alternative for Germany (AFD). The way that Germans voted in the EU Parliament election is likely a forecast for what Germany’s federal elections will look like in the fall of 2025. If this is the case, it is not looking good for current chancellor Olaf Scholz. Since his term began, Scholz has been criticized for his migrant policy, his handling of the economy, and is often blamed for why Germany is in an energy crisis. As of June 2024, the vast majority of Germans disapprove of the current government’s performance, with only 22% saying that they approve it.
After Angela Merkel’s 16-year reign as chancellor, the CDU/CSU began to lose its popularity. A combination of a boost in progressive ideologies, as well as the libertarian Free Democratic Party (FDP) ending their coalition with the Christian Democrats to work with the Social Democratic Party, allowed for the CDU to be defeated in the 2021 federal election. At the time, the Alliance 90/Greens Party was also growing in popularity and was at one point, the largest party in Germany. While it was their close allies, the Social Democrats (SPD) that won the election, the SPD, Greens, and FDP united and formed what would be known as the Traffic Light Coalition.
However, since 2021, topics such as climate change have taken a backseat, when it comes to things that Germans are worried about. As a result, the once mighty Greens are now only the fourth largest party in Germany. While German citizens would still like to live in a nation that is environmentally healthy there are more urgent and pressing issues that must be taken care of. Peace in Europe is at the top of the list of priorities. With the war between Russia and Ukraine going well into its second year, and the conflict over Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk going back over 10 years, Europeans want an end to the constant bloodshed and demand a resolution. After peace in Europe, Social Security is the second most important issue for Germans.
As the nation’s population is aging, Germany has been trying its best to ensure that its benefits for pensioners stay the same. The third highest priority is migration, which has been a major topic for debate since the 2015 European Migrant Crisis. On top of these important issues, the Traffic Light Coalition has been suffering from massive amounts of infighting, and there is even a chance that it might collapse before the next federal election. The three parties cannot agree on the Russia-Ukraine War or even how to manage the budget.
Among citizens, there has also been a large concern that nations in Europe are losing their sovereignty and that their governments are willingly giving up their autonomy to international organizations such as the European Union or the United Nations. The AFD especially, believes that the EU has gone too far in trying to enact policies that German citizens have not had the chance to vote directly on. They are also concerned that the German government is overextending itself in trying to help those in other countries before they help their own people.
As Europe has rapidly become more interconnected, secular, and liberal, many Germans are concerned that they are losing their identity as a nation. It is also important to note that many young people in Germany are voting for conservative or right-wing candidates. Usually, most people would probably assume that younger citizens would vote for progressives, since the mainstream media often portrays youths as being idealistic and often rejecting the past. However, this has changed in the recent election. Germany has historically been a Christian nation, so perhaps the young are becoming disillusioned by the secular and liberal path Germany has been taking in recent history. It will be interesting to see how this continues and which path Germany will take.
