purple: German Elections 2017
I didn't plan on blogging about this at first and I hesitated in doing so as well. However, with the recent events I need to at least put this down.
Just a heads up though: I refrained from sharing political views online because I have seen about how loud and stupid arguments can get. Yes, stupid. I'm all for freedom of speech but sometimes I just want to bang my head against the wall when reading discussions online.
I won't be explaining too detailed how exactly the election works. I am no pro in political issues, and I probably don't understand everything either, but for foreigners a short recap: I am talking about the 'Bundestagswahl' which takes place once in four years. Germany elects a new parliament, consisting of different parties and, eventually, Germany has (might have) a new 'Bundeskanzler' (previously Angela Merkel).
You have two votes: In your first, you can elect a candidate. Each party can field a candidate. The one with the most votes in an election district gets a direct mandate for the parliament.
The second vote is more important, however, as you can elect a party which is necessary to eventually establish how many seats a party will have in the parliament.
This year, the turnout was around 75%.
Recap end, rant start. This was my first year of partaking the election, which might be why I'm blogging about it. I did it via postal vote, as my academic year had already started by the time the election took place. And, additionally, in my hometown, and a town pretty close to mine, the party I am about to talk about was second, and first strongest respectively.
And this is surprising, no shocking. They ended up third strongest party in the new parliament, and they are a (far) right-winged party. Or, more clearly spoken, a racist, retarded bunch of people who think refugees are at fault for everything. Ehem. I'll try to be a bit more rational here and name a few points of what said party wants (and what shocked me so much, also I left out a few parts that I had not had too much information about):
- the Islam is no part of Germany, thus, it should be e.g. forbidden to wear an Islamic headscarf
- leave the Euro, get back to a German currency
- accountability with 12 years of age
- an easier possibility of deportation of criminal foreigners, and no German citizenship for their children
- climate change is not real: expansion of nuclear energy/ atomic plants
- support only for 'traditional families', not for single parents
- against right of abortion
- against same-sex marriage
- ...
And yes, I don't give a single f*ck if and what 'positive' points they might have, or what a 'fresh wind' they might be in the parliament. The previously mentioned points are bad enough to make me want to repeatedly bang my head against the wall, and in my opinion, rule out anything supposedly good.
If there are people, German people, who agree, there is a wonderful letter written by avaaz members to show resistance. It shows that we are an open-minded, diverse country that has no need to be 'reclaimed'. I'd like to invite you all to sign this letter and stand up for an open-minded Germany. Especially us young people who are all around the web, with connections all around the world, we should no that there is no place for racism and hatred.
One final thing: I am all for freedom of speech. If your views and believes are supported by a right-winged party, it is your right to elect them, and you should go for it. (And just like that it is my right to disagree and refrain from starting a friendship with you...)
But if you elect a right-winged party out of protest, because you are unhappy with how things have been for many years, I'd kindly ask you to leave. Protest, fair enough, and it's hard to explain, but I feel like you throw a country under the bus if you elect solely out of protest, without checking if your views are supported.
Again, if it's both of it combined, protest and support for your views, freedom of speech, your choice, even if I strongly dislike it.
over and out,
a very disturbed lucy who just had to research the election programme