The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has been shifting its focus towards immigrant voters, a demographic that was previously overlooked by the party. According to official statistics, around 12% of the German electorate have a non-German background.
However, the party’s efforts to attract this group may be met with skepticism due to its past rhetoric on multiculturalism and immigration. Some AfD members, like Robert Lambrou, claim that the party is not xenophobic but wants a sensible migration policy. Others, however, make statements that contradict this stance, such as the promise of deporting “millions” of foreigners.
Despite these contradictions, there has been an increase in pro-AfD content created by non-white individuals on social media platforms like TikTok. CEO of Transformakers, Özgür Özvatan, attributes this to the party’s strategy to expand its voter base, particularly among communities with Russian and Turkish roots who are more likely to have voting rights.
AfD state parliamentarian Robert Lambrou argues that his experience is that it makes no difference whether he is from an immigrant background or not. However, the party’s stance on immigration has been criticized for being inconsistent.
The question remains whether immigrant voters will be swayed by the AfD’s efforts to reach out to them despite their past rhetoric and contradictions.
Source: https://www.dw.com/en/germany-who-are-the-afds-immigrant-voters/a-71268609