German intelligence, responsible for monitoring groups opposed to the constitution, has classified the 'Alternative for Germany' party as an extremist organization.
Before becoming one of the leading far-right figures in Germany, Liv-Erik Holm worked as a radio presenter in his home state in eastern Germany, where he became famous through his radio show 'The Best Jokes Ever'.
Ahead of next year's regional elections across Germany, Holm (55) is preparing to be the top candidate for the 'Alternative for Germany' party in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, a largely rural region bordering Poland and the Baltic Sea.
Polls show that the 'Alternative for Germany' party is leading with 38% support in the state, making it one of the places where the party—now the largest opposition group in the German national parliament—is close to gaining significant power for the first time since its founding over 12 years ago.
Dialogue with Opponents
Holm embodies the type of candidate that at least some leaders of the 'Alternative' party would like to see at the top of the ticket. With his paternalistic behavior, Holm avoids the incendiary rhetoric adopted by other politicians in the party, stating that he seeks dialogue with his political opponents.
When asked what his party would do if it came to power in the state next year, Holm listed some appealing proposals: increasing investment in education, including science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and ensuring that the children of migrants learn the German language before starting school. 'I am actually a gentle man,' Holm said.
Political Calculations
But behind the image of an ordinary man are clear political calculations. The party's national co-chair, Alice Weidel, is trying to rebrand the party, believing that the 'Alternative for Germany' cannot achieve real political power if it does not get rid of candidates who hold overtly extremist positions.
This means distancing itself from controversial leaders like Björn Höcke, who was convicted by a court for using a banned slogan used by Adolf Hitler's soldiers. Last year, Höcke said: 'I will never say that someone wearing a Nazi uniform is automatically a criminal'.
Instead, the preferred candidate, at least for Weidel and her followers, is someone like Holm, who can present a more popular image of the party. However, the change appears to be superficial, and even Weidel, despite her national leadership role, cannot prevent the mask from falling.
Extremist Group
Since its founding in 2013 as a Eurosceptic party, the 'Alternative for Germany' has become more radical, and its increasingly radical base has rallied primarily around the issue of immigration.
Earlier this year, Germany's Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, responsible for monitoring groups deemed hostile to the constitution, classified the 'Alternative' party as an extremist group. Weidel is now trying to curb overt extremism. These efforts aim to make the 'Alternative for Germany' party more acceptable to traditional conservatives and to make it harder for the center-right alliance led by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to refuse to govern in coalition with the party by maintaining the 'firewall' Germany has built against the far right.
Best Performance
Weidel's efforts to present a more sophisticated image of the party do not necessarily have the broad support of its base, especially in its strongholds in former East Germany, indicating that the party's political rise coincided with its radicalization.
Despite the rise in extremism, the party came in second in the early federal elections earlier this year, which is the best national performance for a far-right party since World War II. The party now leads the conservatives led by Meritz in opinion polls.
Source: Politico
