Photo Shutterstock Text Machteld van Kempen
WUR is incredibly diverse, with hundreds of internationals working and studying here. In this column, we ask one of them to comment on certain events in their home country. This time, International Development Master’s student Levin Dalpiaz (26) shares his thoughts on the recent election in Germany.
‘Following the elections from the Netherlands was an interesting experience. Unlike in Germany, where I am used to having political discussions with my friends, I had fewer opportunities to talk about home politics here. It also felt strange not seeing campaign ads everywhere, which are so prominent in Germany. However, I did meet up with some German friends to watch the panel discussion with the chancellor candidates and later organized a screening of the exit polls on election night.’
‘Looking at the electoral map you will see the urban-rural divide, but even a bigger divide between the West and East. In the East, the strongest party was the AfD, whereas in the West the Christian Democrats dominated. I think one of the possible explanations for this is the economic disparity: wages in East-Germany are lower than in the West, which poses a big challenge. The results in my municipality reflected that same pattern. I don’t know anyone who votes far-right, so that really shows me in what kind of bubble I live. So I think it would actually be interesting to have the chance to talk to far-right voters to hear their motivations and their concerns, to create a space of exchange.’
‘These elections were crucial for the European Union, given Germany’s role as a leading power. They reflected the broader direction in which Europe is heading. What concerns me most is how climate change was barely discussed in the campaigns. Instead, the political debate shifted toward blaming refugees for Germany’s economic struggles.’
‘While I’m not satisfied with the outcome, it wasn’t as bad as I had feared. I was afraid the election results would turn out worse than predicted by the polls. If the AfD had won and Alice Weidel had become chancellor, I might have wanted to escape Germany. Because the country would be governed by a party that uses hate speech by blaming refugees.’
