An interesting thing about this pandemic, in Germany at least, is how the far-right are struggling for relevance. For now, few want to hear from ranting racists. Instead, they want to hear from the virologist Christian Drosten. It implies that hatred is just a hobby.
The far-right have been calling for Merkel to get out for years, often with a very nasty edge, but when one of them mocked her for going into quarantine the reaction here was ferocious. They'd crossed a line and they knew it. She's a fun figure to hate until problems get real.
For sure, there are some areas where Germany could have done better with its handling of this pandemic, but on the whole people can see that the politicians handling this complex problem are serious and competent. I just hope that voters remember that.
In the months to come, it is up to German political pundits and talk shows to remind the German public constantly that in the midst of a public health crisis the far-right contributed *less than nothing*. This is a clear and undeniable responsibility.
In Germany it feels to me like late 2017 again; that is to say, a period where the far-right surge was interrupted by mostly good governance, where people saw on the whole that policy was working. I think there will be another surge, so progressive voices need to use this moment.
Thanks to all new German followers, who I think are here because of the above thread. While you're here, let's please remember that the chairman of one of this country's biggest football clubs said this about Africans: - and didn't even get fined for it.
