From Germany to Greece
Five German left activists on building solidarity with the Greek people and confronting the pro-austerity elites in their own country.
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Why Germany Struggled to Reckon With the Nazi Past
For decades after 1945, the victims of Nazism’s crimes had less of a voice in West German society than the perpetrators. Germany’s much-credited reckoning with the Nazi past was a long time coming — but most of the criminals were never brought to justice.
Germany’s Shift to the Right
The recent success of Alternative for Germany has alarmed many. But the Left can fight against the climate of despair.
No, Post-Nazi Germany Isn’t a Model of Atoning for the Past
German public debate is often marked by self-congratulation at “coming to terms” with the country’s past. Yet comparisons between antisemitism and other racisms are increasingly being demonized — and it’s stifling discussion of Germany’s colonial crimes.
Germany’s Finance Minister Is the Most Dangerous Man in Europe
The European Commission has proposed a slight loosening of debt limits — but Germany’s neoliberal finance minister Christian Lindner is blocking the change. His zombie economics will impoverish citizens and hasten the rise of the far right.
No Experiments: Germany After the Election
What does Sunday's endorsement of Angela Merkel mean for Germany and its Left Party?
How Germany’s Memory Culture Censors Palestinians
Palestinian artists and speakers have become increasingly unwelcome in the German public sphere. In the name of overcoming Germany’s own crimes under Nazism, its institutions cast a blanket suspicion of antisemitism against Palestinians in general.
Germany’s Counterrevolution Paved the Way for the Rise of Nazism
A revolutionary upsurge after 1918 could have democratized German politics. Instead, the brutal repression used to contain that upsurge strengthened the authoritarian right, divided the German workers’ movement, and facilitated the rise of Hitler.
In Former East Germany, the Left Is Paying for Its Failures
Three states in former East Germany face elections in September, with the far-right Alternative für Deutschland leading polls. The party is exploiting voter discontent with the fallout of reunification — and the Left’s lack of a convincing alternative.
The War in Ukraine Has Exposed Germany’s Strategic Quagmire
The war in Ukraine has renewed talk of Germany’s role in leading Europe — but also increased its economic and even foreign policy reliance on Washington. As bloc tensions rise, talk of an independent European superpower sounds like empty boasting.
Germany’s Far Right Is Laying Down Roots, Despite Protests
Leaks from a secret meeting on “remigration” have prompted a wave of protests against the Alternative für Deutschland. But as Germany’s debate on immigration harshens, this far-right party is becoming a powerful electoral threat.
In Germany, Liberals Lead the Authoritarian Turn
The rise of the anti-immigrant Alternative für Deutschland has prompted a wave of troubled reactions in Germany. But authoritarianism isn’t just a far-right creation, and today, liberals are leading the charge against basic democratic freedoms.
How Former East Germany Became Home to the Far Right
The anti-immigrant Alternative für Deutschland made big gains in Germany’s state elections this Sunday. The grim outcome shows how the wounds of reunification are pitching eastern regions toward the far right.
The Upsurge in Germany
Germany's economic model hasn't delivered on its promises of social justice. Does the recent strike wave pose a threat to "social partnership"?
Germany’s Exploitative Care Model Is Finally Being Put on Trial
For years, Germany has imported thousands of underpaid workers from Eastern Europe, as the EU's richest country seeks to solve its care crisis on the cheap. Now, a Bulgarian care worker and her trade union are taking that model to court — hoping to abolish the sector's notoriously exploitative practices.
Germany’s Project for Europe Is in Tatters
For decades, German governments have pursued the project of a free-market European empire. Today the war in Ukraine and US pressure are undermining the economic foundations of its hegemony — and Germany’s political leadership seems unable to respond.
Germany’s Rising Far Right Would Let the Planet Burn
Polls suggest the far-right Alternative für Deutschland is now Germany’s second most popular party. Best known as an anti-immigrant force, it also ardently resists efforts to reduce carbon emissions — insisting that climate change could be a good thing.
Germany’s Commitment to “Fiscal Discipline” Is Disastrous for Europe and the Planet
Germany is blocking billions of euros in investment domestically and across the EU because of the country’s commitment to low budget deficits. This “fiscal discipline” is undermining economic growth and decarbonization goals across the continent.
I Was the Last Communist Premier of East Germany
The opening of the Berlin Wall on this day in 1989 brought the downfall of the East German regime and the appointment of reformer Hans Modrow as head of government. Thirty years on, he speaks to Jacobin about his experiences on that day and in power, and how German reunification went wrong.
Germany’s Support for Ukraine Faces Doubts on the Home Front
NATO’s Vilnius summit is placing fresh demands on Germany to increase its military aid to Ukraine. Foreign Minister Anne Baerbock speaks stridently of the West’s role in the war — but Germans are increasingly reticent about it.