The right-wing is gaining support in Germany

[Scorpius]

According to the exit polls today. Merkel looks certain to lose her previously-safe seat too.

Is there more to this than immigration? Or is it a straight-forward rebellion against her open-door policy?

It's focused on immigration but seems to be a meeting point of certain views.

This article is a good summary.

My heart sank when I heard that on the news.

The press just doesn't cover the right wing.

Lots of coverage of who will succeed Corbyn, but next to none of who will succeed Farage. But given the loss of the 'traditional' Labour vote to UKIP, there really should be more attention paid to it. And not just to deplore it, but to examine the causes so different solutions can be offered to the electorate.

And in the UK too

The attitude of some has changed recently. I notice that at work, a school where (am also parent governor) I've had parents ask me in hushed voices about their children being disadvantaged because of the 1 Syrian child in the class.

Well, no, because the refugee children spend half their time in special German classes. If anything, it's been really good for the German children actually speaking English, something they seldom do in class and something the parents are mad keen on, as the Syrians speak English and their classmates have been v helpful & they communicate in English atm.

Sadly right wing groups are gaining support across Europe atm

Unfortunatly it is and these parties are more in line with the BNP than UKIP it's not just Germany, France, Austria, Sweden and Spain there is a rise in right wing support

Thankfully in Germany at least there doesn't seem to be one leader of the parties that can challange Merkel as a leader they don't have a Farage type figure

This has been happening for a few years now free movement of people, the refugee crises, mass immigration hasn't benefited everyone it's caused huge resentment areas of Europe are really struggling yet leading parties ignored this and as here with UKIP the right wing parties were there gaining support

The Left urban intelligentsia everywhere has become disconnected with the workers - hence they feel that only the Right are listening to them.

There always seems to be a tipping point. In the UK and in my personal circle the last general election turned many of my family and friends into a more staunch left wing views where debate has been replaced by insults and moral judgements. I admire Merkel but like many leaders she has lost the ability to listen. I am also worried about France as their political parties seem very weak added with poor economics lead to a right wing dream.

Too many to soon. Assimilation or integration?

It's not a surprise at all. Friends of mine in Frankfurt, hate her with a passion.

Too many too soon so too many immigrants too soon cause racism? A wonderful piece of victim blaming going on! It's not enough that these people lost their homes, their families, their country, now they are responsible for the xenophobic attitudes of other. If only Syria had been bombed in stages for a more manageable influx of refugees.

booboo unfortunately, telling people that they are wrong or racist for how they feel doesn't go down too well. Hence the rising popularity of right wing parties across Europe, and the Brexit vote in the uk.

The stories coming out of Germany are horrific. If I lived there, I'd be really pissed off that a total lack of management of immigration had impacted on my freedoms as a woman. Obviously the right wing doesn't provide a pro woman alternative, but these parties are the only ones speaking out about sexual assaults by refugees currently.

Yes but its not just Syrians is it, many are from Algeria, Morocco etc. In fact as far as I am aware no Syrians have ever been the cause of any trouble, not in Germany anyway?
Of course there will be issues when a huge number of people from a very different culture live suddenly move into a totally different country.

You may not like it - but its facts, its true. Its a problem and some countries, and peoples cope with this better than others.

Not victim blaming but realism.

The Left urban intelligentsia everywhere has become disconnected with the workers - hence they feel that only the Right are listening to them.

Spot on Mrsguy

Oh right, it's only realistic that too many immigrants will send otherwise normal people over the edge to racism. Human nature isn't it, faced with too many foreigners too soon you just come to hate them. Thanks for the explanation.

Well yes, that's it. I would refer you to the Cologne threads.

And I would refer you to the fact that the vast majority of sexual attacks in Germany are carried out by German natives. Not to mention that lumping all foreigners under the label 'immigrants' is racist as is the generalisation from the behaviour of a small number of people in the group to a judgement about everyone in the group.

Increase in young single men from any culture tends to lead to increase in crime, especially violent crime. You could blame it on the demographic rather than the culture or religion but the problem is still there.

That's not what I have heard from friends living in Germany.

They also feel that they are being silenced any concerns are ignored even ones that the welcoming committees have raised

Many Germans have been very welcoming but feel Germany has taken on a bigger issue than they can deal with

Increase in young single men from any culture tends to lead to increase in crime,especially violent crime
Is that from the Daily Mail statistics? Shall we cut down on the number of young, single, foreign males admitted to UK unis then given their long history of contributing to violent crimes during their studies?

Of course racists will play on the politics of fear and marginalisation, feelings which will be heightened at times of economic depressions. They want us to feel under attack, our way of life threatened, our values trampled, our children in danger and they know who to target these fears towards, it's always the ousiders. So we can take our country back and give it firmly to the racists (I am neither British nor living in the UK so technically not ''my country' but the racist rhetoric is identical on reclaiming the country from the threat of foreigners both in France where I live and in Greece where I come from - just different groups doing the reclaiming, pretty much the same victims all around.)

Young men with no direction, feeling isolated, feeling disenfranchised

There are many articles and reports written on this issues

Foreign students are likely to have money and have had choices and have direction, a purpose to why they have left their home country/family

Booboo, I don't think it's fair or wise to disregard the concerns and opinions of many German people regarding the unilateral decision of Mrs Merkel. I'm in the UK in a small town with very little immigration, but can imagine how a large and sudden influx of young men would change the day to day nature of this area.