In the context of the crisis of globalization and the new affirmation of national identities, the European Union has seen the growth of populist parties in many countries. After the 2019 elections, the sum of the two conservative and Eurosceptic groups in the European Parliament (“Identity and Democracy” and “European Conservatives and Reformists”) reached 138 members, becoming potentially the third most popular group after the Popular and Socialist ones. This trend has not spared Germany, the most important power on the continent, where Alternative für Deutschland has achieved important results in all elections, both regional and federal. The German case is particularly interesting not only in relation to the general trend in Europe, but also in light of Germany’s relationship with its own national identity after 1945. The first part of this chapter aims to analyze the AfD phenomenon and its reasons. The second part is dedicated to a brief investigation of the complex process of German national unity and the formation of its identity.
Alternative Für Deutschland and the Origins of the German Sonderweg
Andrea Giannotti
2022-01-01
Abstract
In the context of the crisis of globalization and the new affirmation of national identities, the European Union has seen the growth of populist parties in many countries. After the 2019 elections, the sum of the two conservative and Eurosceptic groups in the European Parliament (“Identity and Democracy” and “European Conservatives and Reformists”) reached 138 members, becoming potentially the third most popular group after the Popular and Socialist ones. This trend has not spared Germany, the most important power on the continent, where Alternative für Deutschland has achieved important results in all elections, both regional and federal. The German case is particularly interesting not only in relation to the general trend in Europe, but also in light of Germany’s relationship with its own national identity after 1945. The first part of this chapter aims to analyze the AfD phenomenon and its reasons. The second part is dedicated to a brief investigation of the complex process of German national unity and the formation of its identity.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
