It was like any ordinary, late-summer Sunday in Berlin: flea markets bustling, couples brunching, kids bicycling. Everything seemed so nice and calm - an urban weekend idyll. But less than two hours' drive away, what local media would later describe as a "debacle for liberal democracy" and a "frightening and terrible" turning point for Germany was in development.
On September 1, elections were held for local parliaments in two eastern states, Thuringia and Saxony. And almost exactly 85 years after Nazi Germany invaded Poland and started World War II, a far-right political party would win a state election in the country.
On that sunny Sunday, around a third of all voters cast their ballot for the Alternative for Germany, or AfD, party. Senior AfD member Björn Höcke has previously gone to court for using a Nazi slogan (illegal in Germany) and AfD party chapters are classified as "potentially extremist" by the country's domestic spy agency.
Denne historien er fra September 9, 2024-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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Denne historien er fra September 9, 2024-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.
