Reactions from civil society: “We have to stay together now”

B ettina Schlauraff, regional bishop, Magdeburg

The first reactions from the communities are above all: shock and sadness. Many are also angry or afraid. A lot of consolation and encouragement was needed on Monday. But then there was also the feeling: We will continue to stand by those who could now really need us. We will continue to raise our voices for people affected by discrimination by the AfD. We will look: Where are we needed as a safe space? On social media as well as locally in the communities.

I really enjoy living here in Saxony-Anhalt. That's what makes things so complicated. These are not nasty guys who are now being reported on, they are also neighbors or visitors to our church concerts in the villages. Of course, that doesn't make the dialogue any easier. But we must not be afraid to endure these contradictions. We must not stop asking: What is wrong with you?

The attention that has been on this state in the last few weeks has done people an incredible amount of good. The fact that celebrities came here during the election campaign. That journalists asked: How are you? It is important that this attention does not diminish now. There is this need to be noticed here.

The AfD could actually harm parishes by cutting budgets. That would be illegal and we would take legal action against it - but that takes time. So it could mean that there are severe cuts, that we have to close facilities.

What gives me courage is that a very stable civil society has formed here in the last few months, which we can now rely on well. A civil society that will disagree. These networks support and will hold us together emotionally. There are more people who are now interested in the work of the church. There are young people who are now interested in politics. There's something incredibly hopeful about that. Anna Klöpper

Igor Matviyets, anti-racism consultant and member of the Jewish community, Halle

On Sunday, hundreds of thousands voted for content that contradicts everything I stand for: solidarity, cohesion, participation. I am Jewish, I am a migrant, my existence here is inherently political. Almost every second voter in the country does not want people like me to build our lives here. Even without the repression that is now threatening, it is oppressive.

I'm unsure whether we should really spell out every worst-case scenario. Our democracy also has protective mechanisms - even if we have only known them from theory so far. There is no precedent for what is now threatening.

During the election campaign, the AfD and BSW fulfilled the wish that someone else would be responsible for all of the people's problems here. But the democratic parties have not countered this with their own visions for a better life in Saxony-Anhalt. They didn't advertise with content, just to prevent the AfD. Democracy thrives on arguing about content.

I think many people here in Saxony-Anhalt don't even realize what they have caused to waver with their voice. And they won't be the first to feel the impending radical change. These will be those who are not just the focus of the AfD anyway and who constantly have to explain themselves. For example, people with a migration history.

Many of us migrants are actually the greatest constitutional patriots. I know the value of my family and I living here, in Germany, in Saxony-Anhalt. I come from Ukraine. I would have to go to the front there now. Half of the people here voted for parties that want to lose solidarity with Ukraine and leave the people there unprotected from Russia's attack. This is painful. Many people don't understand what a privilege it is to be born into democracy and peace - and you can see that in election results like this. Dinah Riese

Ursula Beckmann, self-advocacy for people with disabilities, Magdeburg

The AfD openly communicates that we, people with limitations, including those with invisible illnesses or disabilities, do not belong in the middle of society. It wants to push us back to the margins, ideally make us disappear completely. Everyone in a home with the door closed and the keys gone, something like that.

You also think about options, what if you no longer receive adequate care. I'll put it this way: I always have enough medication at home. This cannot actually be in the interest of a democratic society. I also can't feel sympathy when people vote for the AfD in protest. We can't let the right-wing people do their thing. We saw what happened when Hitler was allowed to do that.

Instead, it would be good for Germany if we expanded our networks again. If the neighboring family would take more care of the elderly lady again. Or the older lady could take care of children again. Unless the nursing service has to come because she needs a bottle of milk or something similar. More support in the neighborhood and the surrounding area could save a lot of money and would at the same time be a benefit for our society. Clara Dünkler

Robert Fietzk, Zora Socio-Cultural Center, Halberstadt

I'm not surprised that the AfD won the election, but I didn't think it would be this bad. On Saturday we organized the democracy festival in Magdeburg. I can't remember ever seeing the cathedral square so full - and then the election results the next day. That hurts a lot.

You can already see how the normalization of the AfD is continuing in the media. Right-wing extremists sit on “Hard but Fair” as if that were normal. The first SPD district administrator wants to work with the AfD. The last remnants of the fire wall are currently being demolished at an unbelievable pace. And when you listen to Merz, you feel sick. After such an election result, how can you say that you want to stick to the planned social reforms?

Our social center Zora is one of the few safe spaces for PoC people, queer people and refugees in the region. This is a huge responsibility that we take very seriously. Now we have to use the four weeks until the state parliament is constituted. The Nazis are just waiting for the AfD to take over the police and give them free rein.

Many are thinking about leaving. That's totally understandable, I already had the same thought. But I will stay. The AfD is also strong in the other federal states, so we can stay the same and continue what we have built. Frederik Eikmanns

Annegret Laabs, director of the Magdeburg Art Museum

After the election, politics cannot simply return to business as usual. But we in the cultural institutions will of course return to the agenda, because we are the backbone of society. We are there to welcome people and listen to them. Art and culture are always free, and it stays that way. Cultural institutions, museums, theaters, libraries and music halls are important as meeting places.

It is constantly said that people have voted out culture, but people have not voted out culture. What is in the AfD's election program has not been read by many, I am quite sure.

Immediately after the election, we thought together in culture: What does this mean for us? We have planned cultural events in our houses. Now it's more about how we will act in the future. For us, free art is political art, everything else is decoration, entertainment - you can do it, but it's something different and not art. The AfD election program talks about “thinking German” and patriotism. But what is that supposed to be? We have all been active in art and culture for so long that we know: “German thinking” doesn’t exist and “national” thinking doesn’t work either.

We are also in discussions with our colleagues in other countries and with right-wing governments. We learn resilience from each other. Many people are afraid of the future and that is terrible. You can counteract this in the cultural sector. Art without censorship, without restrictions. This is what the Culture, Diversity and Home Network stands for. Togetherness is important. We have to stay together for our audience. Clara Dünkler

Christiane Lähnemann, grandma against the right, Magdeburg

As initiatives, both Grandmas Against the Right and the Solidarity Magdeburg Alliance, we will continue as before and continue to be active. That same evening, several people came to us who wanted to take part in both initiatives. Because now many more people are horrified and want to get involved. Our task in the near future will be to consider how we can integrate these people well so that this horror also leads to long-term commitment.

Specifically, we have planned the next “Prüf” demo for next Saturday, which takes place on the second Saturday of every month – as a response to the election results and to show what the local cultural scene has to offer. Songwriters and cabaret artists from Saxony-Anhalt will be there. So far there have been around 1,000 people at the demos, now I think there will be more.

“Today we mourn, tomorrow we fight.” Luisa Neubauer said that in a statement after the election results were announced and that is also our stance. Timur Vorkul

We are all stunned. I'm stunned. The forecasts essentially do not differ from what actually happened. But it just feels different again. “Reality is different,” we called it on Monday.

This realization that such a large number of people are not deterred by all the hatred in the election programs is difficult for us to bear and leaves us somewhat resigned.

At the same time, we are there for each other. Above all, we want to keep an eye on those who are directly affected by this hatred. We have a few people at the station who are affected by this. On the one hand, these are people with migration and refugee experience in the “Common Voices” editorial team. Some of them are what are meant when loud calls for deportations are made. But it is also people who are disabled in their everyday lives who broadcast with us. They too can become the focus of a ethnic ideology.

Our broadcast license runs for a few more years. So we are confident that we can continue doing radio. We will continue to critically report and document what is happening in this state. And we will continue to work on our independence and build our campaign for membership in the Circle of Friends of Corax.

It is currently working very well. At the beginning of the year we started with around 200 members, we now have around 850. This is an incredible increase and a great sign of active solidarity! It is this encouragement that gives us courage. On this basis, we allow ourselves a certain degree of confidence that Radio Corax will remain a good and solidarity-based place in Saxony-Anhalt, despite the rather bleak medium-term future. Timur Vorkul

Elias Zarrad, CSD organizer, Wittenberg

In June we celebrated for the second time in Lutherstadt at the CSD in Wittenberg and demonstrated for the issues and rights of queer people. At the very next meeting in the Wittenberg city laboratory, we as the organizational team will have to talk and talk about the election. And I strongly assume and hope that the offers that already exist for queer people will now be used even more.

I am also active in the Left Party. And we have to let that sink in for now. We actually all knew that things were going to be shitty for the AfD, but that we as a party would fail so badly in the election. None of us would have expected that.

In the next few weeks we will first have to talk about what the election results mean for the structures of the left. But we already have 30 new party members in Hall alone. This is also the case in other places, because of course people are frustrated, but they have hope in the left and want to get involved there. And that now needs to be organized. Stefan Hunglinger

Employee of the Reichenstrasse Cultural Center, Quedlinburg

If I'm honest, since yesterday I no longer understand the world. Sure, it's clear that the AfD is winning. But when I saw the triumphant mood among them, the people cheering, the German flags, I felt sick. I'm worried about my friends. You can tell from many of them that they are leftists or queers.

I am also worried about the “rich”, our cultural center. There is a cinema, readings, political discussions, a bar and a children's and youth club, the children's shop. Children between the ages of 5 and 13 come to us, many come from disadvantaged families. We cook with them once a week, for some it is the first meal of the day. It breaks my heart when they arrive here completely hungry.

We try to pass on good values ​​to the kids, that human rights apply to everyone, that all children are allowed to play together, no matter what skin color they have. The AfD has attacked us several times and tried to take away our money. I expect this to increase. If we don't get any more money, the children's store will be dead. Then we won't be able to pay the two employees here, nor the craft materials and play equipment, nor the snacks. That would be bitter, the children's shop is so important for Quedlinburg.

I'm afraid that violence here will increase again. That's why I don't want to give my name. In the 90s there were several attacks by neo-Nazis on the “rich”. I wasn't there at the time, but when other people talk about it, I get scared. I am completely hopeless after the elections. I feel like all our efforts over the last few weeks have been in vain. The only thing that gives me strength to continue is the kids who come to us and the community in the realm. Anne Fromm

Even before the AfD's election victory on Sunday, the danger from right-wing violence was increasing. The perpetrators feel encouraged and legitimized by the majority and the openly racist program of the AfD. We saw during the election campaign that an AfD MEP boasted about an armed attack on minors and thousands on Facebook applauded this unlawful vigilantism. On Monday evening, a participant in a protest demonstration against the AfD was injured in the face by a shot from an air gun.

Many who are affected by racism and anti-Semitism, but also those who are otherwise seen as opponents of the AfD, are now very worried about their safety and that of their children. Many are considering leaving. But what happens to those who can't or don't want to move?

There is a danger that nationalist thinking, racism, social Darwinism and anti-queer sentiment will now increase even further. And we are concerned about premature obedience and bandwagonism. Solidarity is needed more than ever. Everyone should now ask themselves: How are the almost 60 percent who did not vote for the AfD, who are the democratic majority, doing? What support does democratic civil society need? And how can vulnerable groups be protected from racist hatred, anti-queer violence or anti-Semitic defamation?

We can and will defend solidarity and human rights. This is a given. But so that we can continue to stand in solidarity with those attacked and with democratic civil society, despite all the threats from the AfD, we are now dependent on support ourselves. AfD officials repeatedly threaten non-governmental organizations, which also affects our sponsoring association Miteinander e.V. Now the worst case scenario threatens: AfD politicians who come to public office and put the threats into action, for example by completely cutting off the state's funding for victim counseling. That's why we started a fundraising campaign. Frederik Eikmanns