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Neo-Nazi surge in German, poll awakens, bitter memories
SMH, DPA, Reuters ^ | September 21 2004 | Philip Blenkinsop in Dresden

Posted on 09/20/2004 5:53:03 PM PDT by Nachum

The far right has made startling gains in regional elections in Germany as former communists made advances around Berlin, but parties of the centre clung to power with reduced support.

The anti-immigrant Nationalist Democratic Party (NPD) won 9 per cent of the vote in Saxony, almost equal to the vote for the Social Democrats of the Chancellor, Gerhard Schroder.

The Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) took 28 per cent of the vote in Brandenburg, its best ever showing in a state election. Eastern German resentment at high unemployment and welfare cuts undermined support for Mr Schroder's Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the main opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU).

Whereas the CDU has profited from past discontent with Mr Schroder, it too was punished this time for its support for pro-business reforms. The CDU lost its absolute majority in industrialised Saxony.

The gains by the NPD, which had been semi-extinct since its heyday in West Germany 36 years ago, shocked Paul Spiegel, president of Germany's National Council of Jews, who said it was a symptom of the failures of mainstream politicians.

"Memories of the end of the Weimar Republic are awakened," Mr Spiegel said.

"A party that makes anti-Semitic and xenophobic propaganda doesn't belong in any parliament."

It was the first time the NPD had gained seats in a German state parliament since its heyday in 1968, when it was briefly represented in seven state parliaments before a decline set in.

In Brandenburg, support for another right-wing group, the German People's Union (DVU), was stable at 6 per cent. The DVU and NPD had made a territorial pact to avoid splitting the far-right vote, since a party cannot gain seats unless it wins at least 5 per cent support.

In Brandenburg, a constituency composed of the outer suburbs and rural environs of Berlin, the main shift was to the left rather than the right, with PDS support advancing by 5 per cent.

The former communists, who have overcome pariah status to enter coalitions elsewhere in Germany with the SPD, also secured a stable 23 per cent in Saxony, but have no chance of being invited to join a CDU-led government.

Federally the vote will make little difference to Mr Schroder's tenuous hold on power. His government's legislation is often blocked by the CDU-dominated upper house, the Bundesrat.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Germany; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: awakens; bitter; ingerman; memories; neonazi; poll; surge

1 posted on 09/20/2004 5:53:04 PM PDT by Nachum
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To: Nachum

Moderator: this has already been posted.


2 posted on 09/20/2004 5:55:04 PM PDT by PeterFinn ("John Kerry is a flip-flopper and a phony" - Howell Raines quoted in the Wash. Post)
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To: Nachum

I know I'm opening a can of worms here, but I think many Germans have always agreed with Hitler.


3 posted on 09/20/2004 5:55:08 PM PDT by wagglebee (Benedict Arnold was for American independence before he was against it.)
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To: PeterFinn
oops- did a search and it did not come up.

my bad

4 posted on 09/20/2004 5:57:26 PM PDT by Nachum (Kerry spells "Fine Dining")
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To: Nachum

Still fighting ww2?


5 posted on 09/20/2004 6:06:42 PM PDT by brivette
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To: wagglebee

Anti-immigrant?? I think they see it as a way to get rid of muzzies at least i hope so.


6 posted on 09/20/2004 6:09:06 PM PDT by Coroner
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To: Nachum
... "A party that makes anti-Semitic and xenophobic propaganda doesn't belong in any parliament." ...

"A party cult that makes anti-Semitic and xenophobic propaganda doesn't belong in any parliament free society."

Mohammadamnism advocates hate and hate is what they beget. There is no peace in islam.

7 posted on 09/20/2004 6:16:13 PM PDT by 68 grunt (3/1 India, 3rd, 68-69, 0311)
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The joys of out of control socialism. Worse, The socialists remedy for out of control socialism? MORE socialism! What's germany going to do this time? They have already got rid of all the Jews, are they going to build ovens for the muslims this time? After all, they are the ones dragging down the socialist progrom this time.


8 posted on 09/20/2004 6:25:48 PM PDT by Nathan Zachary
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To: Nathan Zachary

"are they going to build ovens" Nein! They vill only resettle them in the east.


9 posted on 09/20/2004 7:02:31 PM PDT by Bringbackthedraft (HATE BUSH? VOTE KERRY, LOVE AMERICA? VOTE BUSH!)
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To: Bringbackthedraft

btt


10 posted on 09/20/2004 7:04:56 PM PDT by Ciexyz ("FR, best viewed with a budgie on hand")
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Comment #11 Removed by Moderator

To: brivette

"Still fighting ww2?"

My thoughts too. Can't we just let Hitler die already?


12 posted on 09/20/2004 7:51:30 PM PDT by followerofchrist
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To: Nathan Zachary

"They have already got rid of all the Jews, are they going to build ovens for the muslims this time? After all, they are the ones dragging down the socialist progrom this time."

No, they have been beaten down to a point where they aren't allowed to oppose anything anymore. They have to be communists, otherwise they'll be called fascists.

Can we bury Hitler now and move on to Stalin?


13 posted on 09/20/2004 7:54:15 PM PDT by followerofchrist
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