Germany’s 2025 election has exposed deep political and ideological divides, raising fears of renewed instability and historical repetition.

Mother Merkel and Her Neoliberal Children, or “Why this German Dude, Christoph Heusgen, a veteran German diplomat and chairman of the 2025 Munich Security Conference (MSC)” is a moot question now, and even with the results of the recent German election, no matter how you slice them, the reality is the same, and only to get worse.

Germany’s latest election has confirmed what many suspected - change may come, but the German political psyche remains entrenched in its old ways. The election on February 23, 2025, has sent shockwaves through Berlin, toppling Chancellor Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD) and discolouring the Greens, while propelling the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) to an unprecedented 20% of the vote.

For those who thought German political values aligned with European values, reality paints a different picture.

Germany’s Dilemma: Russophobia, American Influence, and the Burden of History

The geopolitical landscape is shifting, yet the narrative remains unchanged - blame falls on the Americans, NATO’s failures in Ukraine, and the blind faith of European leaders who march in lockstep as if under the banner of Gott Mit Uns. Nowhere is this more evident than in Germany, a nation that, despite its deep historical, cultural, and economic ties to Russia, has positioned itself at the forefront of modern Russophobia.

This transformation is not without consequence. Germany, once an industrial powerhouse, now grapples with soaring energy costs and a demographic crisis. The economic model that once defined its post-war success cannot sustain itself without integration beyond its borders.

Angela Merkel, the defining figure of German leadership in recent decades, governed with a binary worldview: Soviet Russia bad, capitalist America good. After all, the Americans won the Cold War. But what Germany once believed it stood for has become so diluted that it now struggles with an identity crisis.

Yet, it was not just any Americans that Germany aligned itself with, but a particular ideological faction - the Clintonistas. These leaders of the liberal bourgeois elite catered to virtue-signalling capitalists, their policies embraced by German intellectuals and political elites. The Clintons and Barack Obama became near-saints to this class, their ideology a modern version of the Chardonnay Socialists - or, in German terms, BMW liberals.

Germany’s historical sensitivity to anything resembling right-wing nationalism left it unable to engage with conservative or traditionalist movements. Viewing itself as an authority on fascism, it reflexively rejected anything that could be associated with it.

The paradox was, that in their righteous neoliberal zeal, German anti-fascists missed the most obnoxious case of Nazi resurrection that took place right next to them in Ukraine. Monuments to Nazi collaborators and butchers, free republishing and distribution of Mein Kampf, desecration of Jewish cemeteries and Soviet war memorials, even annual Bandera marches and the indoctrination of children into vile racist hate.

And again, with their suspicion and dismissal of anything “nationalistic” the German pro-Clinton establishment have clearly missed the rise of Trump, as they are missing the rise of their own German public’s anger.

Ain’t we beautiful? Ain’t we progressive? Ain’t we the envy of the world?

We once made the best cars, even VWs were affordable. Who needs those when you can have an electric SUV with a battery warranty shorter than its loan term?

The irony is suffocating. Now, the same minds that warned against state control are micromanaging energy, transportation, and industry into oblivion, all in the name of progress. We saved the climate by strangling our own economy. We stood against fascism by cozying up to its most virulent manifestations abroad. We preserved democracy by censoring dissent and outlawing opposition.

After all, sacrifices must be made for the greater good. So onward, Germany! March proudly into your progressive utopia, where cars drive themselves, history rewrites itself, and the only affordable product is hypocrisy.

After their WWII experience, Germans were clearly vaccinated against nationalism. But were they vaccinated against neoliberalism? Against Clinton-like wolves in sheep’s clothes? Against Tesla driving Democrats? Of course not.

Well, and toward whom would the Germans turn now? Macron? China? Poland and Baltics?  Good luck! Germany may be left the last man standing in what was once considered the European project.

The problem for Germany was, and is, that in the west of the country, there never was de-Nazification. Quite the opposite, in fact. “Former” Nazis dominated the West German government, police, and military. The fantasy of “the Good Germans” was concocted and spread to whitewash the crimes of the Wehrmacht, and the children, and grandchildren, of Nazis rose to power.

Margret Thatcher, British PM in 1989, was staunchly opposed to German reunification, and was convinced that Germany would attempt to federalize and dominate Europe, and was a force for instability. Her fears were echoed by many in the Soviet government, who predicted reunification would result in another war within 20 to 30 years, and the French, under Mitterrand, were equally concerned.

Whose Freedom and Whose Europe?

The result can be seen today in the vile statement by Baerbock, the German Foreign Minister, that “I was proud to stand on the same bridge in Poland where my grandfather fought for the freedom of Europe!” Baerbock later claimed to be “unaware” of her Grandfather’s Nazi past (Yeah….. Right……)

It should come as no surprise that Baerbock is a rabid supporter of Ukraine, pushing for ever-increasing escalation, and literally browbeating the previous Chancellor, Scholz, into supplying heavy weapons systems such as artillery and tanks to the neo-Nazi led state, in order to try and inflict some dreamed of strategic defeat on Russia.

Meanwhile, the Alternative for Germany (AfD), often labelled as “far-right” by the establishment and facing potential legal challenges, has gained traction with its opposition to mass immigration and its calls to cut support for Ukraine. In an ironic twist, the AfD, along with the left-wing Die Linke, faces accusations of extremism despite advocating for peace and renewed diplomatic ties with Russia - positions that run counter to the prevailing European consensus.

CDU leader Friedrich Merz, and winner of the elections, adds another layer of complexity. With ties to BlackRock, his motivations may extend beyond geopolitics, given reports that Ukrainian assets, including farmland and natural resources, have been sold to Western interests. His stance also positions him at odds with newly elected U.S. President Donald Trump, who has pledged to end the Ukraine war and shift America’s strategic focus elsewhere.

Merz’s push for EU independence from Washington, while appealing in theory, raises concerns about the resurgence of German militarism and the risks of further European conflict. His outright rejection of cooperation with the AfD hints at the possibility of a broad coalition with the Social Democrats and Greens - parties firmly aligned with the continuation of the conflict.

Germany’s historical tendency toward political uniformity is once again on display, as its leadership remains committed to a military path even as the United States signals a shift in priorities.

With Washington stepping back from Ukraine, Berlin’s persistence in pursuing a costly and dangerous confrontation raises a critical question: Will history repeat itself? If Germany remains on its current trajectory, the echoes of past conflicts may become more than just a historical reference - they could be a grim warning for the future.

Merz’s call for EU “step-by-step independence” from America and European rearmament risks reviving German militarism and all-out war in Europe. His refusal to work with the AfD raises the likelihood of a grand coalition with the Social Democrats, Greens, and others, most of whom are staunchly anti-Russia and committed to prolonging the war.

Germans have a habit of “group-think”, and we are seeing it on full display in their establishment’s insane drive to continue the war in Ukraine, despite the fact that the US has abandoned the failed project. Will we again need to see victory banners in a generation over Berlin?

Henry Kamens, columnist, expert on Central Asia and Caucasus. Courtesy

https://journal-neo.su/2025/02/25/german-elections-how-germans-r-still-politically-goose-stepping/