Why people vote AfD

Conversations on the German-Polish border

I spent much of last week on the eastern edge of eastern Germany. I was in electoral constituency 64 or ‘Cottbus – Spree-Neiße’, right by the Polish border. It’s the region where I was born and one that has become one of the most pro-AfD areas in the country. 42 per cent of people here voted for the candidate of the anti-immigration party in the federal election in February.

I’ve been intrigued by that for some time. There are seismic political shifts here. Along the same lines as in many other parts of the country, but at a faster pace. So I returned to have another look around and ask more questions.

I should add before we get into the nitty-gritty that I had not travelled this far to judge. The following is neither justification nor condemnation. I’d come here to have conversations with people. I wanted to understand the major issues in the region and how people perceive them. What’s driving their vote?