Germans under 25 gave the AfD 16% of their vote in the European elections, with particular support in the east

Germans under 25 gave the AfD 16% of their vote in the European elections, with particular support in the east

Paul Friedrich, 16, could not wait to cast his first ballot and had no doubt which German party had earned his support in the watershed European elections.

“Correct, I voted AfD,” he said proudly in the bustle of the commuter railway station in Brandenburg an der Havel, an hour from central Berlin.

The far-right Alternative für Deutschland made particularly stunning gains on Sunday among young voters. For the first time in a national poll, 16- and 17-year-olds could cast their ballots – a reform that had been strongly backed by left-leaning parties.

After overwhelmingly supporting the Greens five years ago, Germans under 25 gave the AfD 16% of their vote – an 11-point rise – helping place the party second behind the opposition CDU-CSU conservatives and well ahead of the Social Democrats of the chancellor, Olaf Scholz.

The AfD tapped deep wells of support in the former communist east, winning in every state including Brandenburg, where it claimed 27.5% of the vote.

…

And his concerns echo those of many teenagers and twentysomethings in town: fears of war spreading in Europe, inflation, economic decline, “unchecked” immigration and, above all, violent crime, which they say is rampant when they use public transport or hang out in public spaces at night.

  • Treczoks@lemmy.worldEnglish
    343·
    1 year ago

    And how much of that violent crime is committed by rightwingers and politically motivated?

    • otp@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      36·
      1 year ago

      Just let the babies have what they want, and they’ll stop committing violent, -motivated crimes! It’s obvious we should be voting for the far right! /s

  • GeoGio7@lemmy.worldEnglish
    5·
    1 year ago

    This kid is going to feel so embarrassed looking back at this after a few years… He’s only 16.

  • Everythingispenguins@lemmy.worldEnglish
    3·
    1 year ago

    Okay setting aside the politics, fear mongering, and whatnot. Is there any verifiable truth to this?

    The fear mongering around crime is happening in the US too, which is verifiably untrue.

    • ZK686@lemmy.worldEnglish
      112·
      1 year ago

      What? Where do you live? I live in near a big city in California, crime is out of control There’s no consequences for many street level crimes now, especially retail theft. I have personally seen people run into stores, grab stuff and run…while employees are just hiding, scared. They call the cops, who won’t come because they’re backed up with more “severe” crime in the city… so, it continues, and continues. Who’s to blame? The cops, who are already stretched thin? The homeless, because hey, they need to eat too! I mean, it’s nuts…I feel like I live in a third world country sometimes…

        • ZK686@lemmy.worldEnglish
          110·
          1 year ago

          I’m glad that crime is down, overall, but it effects people differently depending where they live. I live in California, and drive for a living…traveling to Northern and Southern California often… while some violent crime is down, things like car break-ins, retail theft, petty burglary, and hate crimes have not really changed. Again, people will only react to what they have personally experienced. I was in San Francisco last week… it’s still a shit show. Homeless using drugs, crazy people walking around threatening everyone, theft… nothing has changed.

          • Everythingispenguins@lemmy.worldEnglish
            5·
            1 year ago

            Despite a slight trend upward. The crime rate is at historic lows in California. Crime being out of control is exactly what the fear mongers want you to think. They say it, you see a few news reports on it. Then you are more prone to believe it when you seem crime in your area. Yes there is a trend up in crime San Francisco, but are you seeing new crime or the same crime in new areas. It seems very likely that much of this crime already existed in the area. Unfortunately do to rising housing costs, and gentrification. People have been pushed out and are spilling on to the streets.

            https://www.ppic.org/publication/crime-trends-in-california/