The political turmoil of Germany and the future of the uninterrupted Atlantic alliance

In December, when the German government, led by Chancellor Olaf Schools, lost the confidence of the Bundestag, it sparked general elections. It also raised the fear of the in -depth international crisis at the top of the local crisis.

Between the increasing aggression of Russian President Vladimir Putin and change to a new and more volatile American administration, news of other divided German elections was received deeply anxious.

By the time when the election results were announced, tensions have increased, as it became increasingly clear that President Trump did not participate in the view of a unified front between the United States and Europe when Putin’s aggression stopped. Trump began to impose a tariff on European goods, threatening to restore a already weak economy.

The results of the German elections should be received with a mixture of relief and extreme anxiety. Relief is that despite the rise of the far -right alternative to Germany or AFD, it is still in a position that allows it to win the elections or prevent the largest parties from forming a ruling alliance without it.

But AFD, which some of its members were associated with the new Nazis, managed to manage more than 10 million votes (more than 20 percent of the total), although their nature and anti -extremist migration and the Shaoy national discourse. In light of the country’s history, this is an uncomfortable development.

Currently, this party, along with some of its most disturbing policies, will remain in the opposition. Germany will probably rule, through a major alliance in the right-wing CDU-CSU and the defeated Democratic Party, along with supporting a number of smaller parties. CDU-CSU, led by the supposed next German counselor, Ferdrich Mirz, won in most seats, with 28.5 percent of the votes. SDP, led by external advisor Schulz, came in third with only 16.4 percent of the vote

AFD should not calm the length of the arm of the position of the power of any person in a false sense of safety. Symbolism, not to mention the tangible threat, of the rise of a party with such a public position to combat intelligence-has not escaped from its co-leader, Alexander Goland, for example, fighting “foreigners’ invasion” to Germany-.

It is hardly a consolation that nearly 80 percent of the Germans rejected AFD policies, because the party’s share of voting is still the increase from elections to elections, and legitimacy to its accurate ideas. The fact that it is not supported by young people, very angry, men (mainly from the former East Germany) can guarantee the longevity in politics, unless the causes of its emerging power are treated.

Consequently, it is dangerous to ignore Mirz’s warnings that AFD’s rise is a “final warning” of the democratic parties – and that the continent faces the continent “from five minutes to midnight”, with political geography shifting and poor the possibility of weakening the Atlantic alliance with the United States under Trump.

It is not enough to be horrific through the AFD platform. It is necessary to address the reasons for the partition between the former East and the Western German and the anger of young voters. To some extent, this is just the issue of “it is economy, stupid.” However, the main parties in Germany must challenge the ability of the right -wing national wing to connect almost the entire Muslim immigrants for their country’s economy.

The German economy has been a bad performance for a long time. After the economic “miracle” experience for the post-war years, it now has one of the slowest growth rates in the European Union-which is expected to be only 0.7 percent this year after two consecutive years that were contracted for the economy. Most experts shed light on structural weaknesses, such as high energy costs, decreased general investment, excessive dependence on exports as the main causes of this slowdown, as well as the economy moved by export and the aging of the population.

Nothing is related to immigration. Indeed, in some cases, it indicates that more foreign workers in the country are needed. The gap between the east and the west in Germany also indicates that more than 35 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the huge investments in efforts to make a society more cohesive and equal throughout the country, the old divisions continue to work deeply. The new government will have to focus not only on improving the economy but also on improving democratic discourse.

If maintaining Germany’s cohesion is a huge task, keeping Europe together, with a joint foreign and security policy, is much larger. For clear historical reasons, but increasingly as German comfort, when it comes to foreign and security policies, Germany has been affected by its lowest weight. Defense expenditures are less than most NATO countries and other European Union, with only 1.6 percent of GDP.

If Mirz wants to be honest with his commitment that his “absolute priority” is to enhance European security, he will have to find money to do so. This will be a difficult task in an economy that does not grow and where there is a need to work within the country’s budget, which limits the new borrowing to 0.35 percent of GDP.

Mirz has made it clear that he had huge battles on his hands. One of them is the leadership of the battle against the rise of the far right in Germany and in Europe in general. The second and difficult task on the equal footing is to take the initiative in European security in the face of an American administration that seems ready to put the continent with its initiatives in Russia Putin.

How his new government managed to face these twin challenges, Germany will determine and prosperity for several decades. Europe may also redefine as a completely distinct entity from its alliance with the United States and at the forefront of efforts to fortify liberal democracies.

Imran Khaled is a doctor and has a master’s degree in international relations.