The growing support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the country's east may be linked to a rise in anti-Semitism, according to top anti-Semitism commissioner, Felix Klein.
"Dissatisfaction with the overall development of society actually manifests itself more strongly there than in the West," Klein told Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) in Berlin. History shows that social dissatisfaction is often also a yardstick for anti-Semitism, he said.
On Sunday, an AfD candidate in the town of Sonneberg in the state of Thuringia has a chance of being elected district administrator in a run-off election. It would be the first top municipal office for the AfD nationwide.
"People want to unload their anger, their discontent," Klein said.
"Even if that's not directly anti-Semitic, these patterns of explanation are always anti-Semitic at their core."
People are looking for someone to blame, he said.
"There's a direct correlation there. That also explains the concern of Jewish communities on the issue."
Klein said that politicians need to take this seriously.
"The way government works must be better communicated generally," Klein said.
"And it also needs to be made clear to people that populists don't offer answers." In addition, he said, it is important to make clearer the value of democracy and the freedoms that go with it, including freedom of travel and freedom of expression.
"There are just no prohibitions on thinking. But if only problematic opinions are expressed, people shouldn't be surprised if they then get resistance."
The right-wing populist AfD is currently polling between 18% and 20% nationwide, and significantly higher in the five states that used to form East Germany.
Earlier Wednesday, AfD said it intended to nominate a chancellor candidate for the first time for the 2025 election as it soars in the polls.
The announcement came a day after the German domestic spy agency, which has placed the party under surveillance since 2021, cautioned voters about backing the party.
The head of the agency Thomas Haldenwang warned citizens Tuesday that far-right extremism posed the biggest threat to German democracy.
