Long shadows

The dice have barely been cast for the European Parliament and the next round of elections is on the horizon, in which the far right can expect strong gains: The latest polls for state elections in Brandenburg, Saxony and Thuringia this autumn see the right-wing AfD party in first place.

There are many reasons why right-wing extremism and right-wing populism not only are gaining ground but are performing particularly strong there. The consequences of this alarming political development for refugees, immigrants, Jews, Muslims, Sinti:zze and Rom:nja, among others, are also diverse … Finally, there are many different forms of civil society protest in eastern Germany against the rise of the far right.

If the polls for September turn out to be true, it will be obvious: These elections have been casting their shadows for some time. Which have been described for everybody to see – for example in excellent contributions for television, radio and the Internet, which the CIVIS Media Foundation has nominated for, or honored with, its Media Prize in recent years. You can find a selection here.