Fascism and militarism characterise debate in the German Bundestag
Johannes Stern, WSWS, Sep 13 2019
In recent days, two cases have come to notice in which representatives of the establishment parties have supported neo-Nazis. In Altenstadt in the state of Hesse, CDU, FDP and SPD voted unanimously for Stefan Jagsch, a member of the neo-Nazi German National Party (NPD), as local mayor. In Hanau, SPD Mayor Claus Kaminsky awarded the Ehrenbrief (honorary letter of recognition) of the state of Hesse to Bert-Rüdiger Förster, a member of the far-right Republikaner allied with the NPD. In both cases, local representatives of the establishment parties justified their actions and praised the fascist politicians. CDU rep Norbert Szilasko, who had voted for Jagsch in the local advisory council, described the self-confessed Nazi as “absolutely collegial and calm.” Kaminsky, who had personally honoured Förster, said:
Even though we are fundamentally divided politically in our basic orientation, we can admit that the Hanau city council would be poorer without his humour, his many years of experience in local politics and his stubbornness in dealing with things.
That such manifestations of sympathy for fascists at local level are not a lapse but part of a far more comprehensive and dangerous development was seen by the debate in the Bundestag on Wednesday. While opposition to war and fascism is enormous among workers and youth, even 80 years after the German invasion of Poland and the beginning of WW2, the ruling class is returning to its authoritarian, militaristic and racist traditions. At the beginning of the debate, AfD parliamentary leader Alice Weidel gave one of her notorious fascist hate speeches. She promulgated racist agitation against refugees and immigrants, railing:
We must change the essentially green-socialist ideology that is ruining and depriving our country of its future. Every other welfare beneficiary has an immigration background. Asylum-seekers are disproportionately involved in crime. Serious crimes involving sex, robbery and homicide by immigrants have increased frighteningly!
No one in the Bundestag opposed Weidel. On the contrary, if there were interjections, they came from the right. Several members of the Greens, CDU/CSU and SPD accused Weidel of not living in Germany. Britta Hasselmann, senior director of the Greens parliamentary group, exclaimed:
But you live in Switzerland! Why are you talking about our country here?
In fact, all parties in the Bundestag have largely adopted the refugee policy of the AfD, participate in the campaign against immigrants and, wherever they are in power in the federal and state governments, carry out brutal deportations. The speeches in the Bundestag made it clear why the ruling class is once again relying on racism, militarism and fascism. It concerns similar questions to those that led to disaster in the 1930s. The German bourgeoisie is reacting to the deep crisis of European and international capitalism and the growing tensions between the major powers by returning to an aggressive foreign and great-power policy. In her government statement, Chancellor Angela Merkel outlined a militaristic programme whose implementation ultimately requires the establishment of a fascist dictatorship. She underlined to the parliamentary deputies that Germany and Europe would need to massively upgrade their military capacity in order to defy the other powers and secure a place in the sun. Merkel declared:
Thirty years after the end of the Cold War, there are completely new paradigms in the distribution of power globally. The growing rivalry between Pindostan and China, and at the same time the geostrategic resurgence of Russia, will of course have far-reaching consequences for us in Europe. On the one hand, we Europeans are weakened by the exit of Britain but on the other hand, it is exactly the hour to develop new strength. The new EC points exactly in this direction, a globally-oriented EC that wants to consolidate Europe’s role in the world. Germany must play a prominent role in this, and keep its promises about moving towards the goal of spending 2% of GDP on the military, like all other NATO members of the EU. Also, Germany must build its own pillar of defence with PESCO’s common defence policy, working together to develop arms projects and pooling our efforts. We must leave a footprint, as one might say today, in conflict resolution in the world… Germany and Europe will have to become more visible in resolving the situation in Syria… We must take responsibility for resolving the tensions between Russia and Ukraine… In Libya too, Germany will make its contribution. We must restore statehood in Libya, however difficult that is, because the entire region of Africa will be destabilised if Libya is not stabilised, and that’s why it’s our task… Germany always wants to resolve international conflicts with a networked approach, including development policy, security policy and, if necessary, readiness for military action. It is expected of us that we are not only a strong economic nation, but that we also contribute to the security and peace in the world, in all areas.
Merkel left no doubt in her speech that the new great-power policy will be accompanied by a new round of massive social attacks, saying:
The budget presented by Finance Minister Olaf Scholz provides answers to the challenges we face. It shows that our foreign, defence and development policies are equipped with growing budgets.
The anti-working-class and militaristic course of the grand coalition is shared in its basic features by all parties in the Bundestag. Significantly, in addition to the government parties, Merkel was applauded several times by deputies from the FDP, the Greens and the Left Party. If there was criticism, then it came from the right. Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann of the FDP said:
There are more funds for the Bundeswehr. That’s nice. But as long as the Defence Ministry is not in a position to use these funds purposefully and so the materiel really arrives at the troops, our joy is manageable.
For the Left Party, Michael Leutert criticised the Bundeswehr’s lack of operational readiness, complaining:
We still have the problem that the equipment does not fly, does not float, or does not drive. Moreover, there is a madman in the White House who does not solve problems on a global level but always incites new ones. Under these conditions, to allow the budget of the foreign ministry budget to stagnate, and even to cut it from 2021, would be fatal. That is not how we contribute to problem-solving at the international level.
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