An election in which only the far-right AfD and the leftists of Die Linke feel like winners leaves a bland aftertaste. After the rush comes the hangover. An intense election campaign is over. At times, it seemed like a horse race in which it came down to who had the most opaque blinkers.

In the end, the election results can only convince the parties that live from narrowing their vision. Politicians and citizens give the impression that they are trapped in a script of extremes, the climax of which is yet to come. This must stop.

A voter turnout of over 80 percent is good. But almost 30 percent of voters support the political fringes. What does this tell us?

The position of the Central Council of Jews on the AfD is clear: The party offers a home to antisemites, it openly seeks linguistic and ideological links to right-wing radicalism and neo-Nazism and plays on people’s fears. It is a case for the Office for the Protection of the Constitution and certainly not for Jews in Germany.

Realistic Political Approach

We are also not hearing any serious signals from the left about protecting Jewish life - if there are any isolated voices at all - and even less about Germany’s responsibility for Israel’s security and generally for a realistic political approach that can serve this country.

There are waves of discontent and populist bogus solutions that are strengthening the political fringes in our country - these waves must be broken: That is the mandate that the parties of the political center have been given once again. They must make use of it and, in doing so, question stale political approaches more than critically.

The government to be forged must not only be capable of action and ready for reforms, but also breathe life back into the political center. This is only possible if the people of this country are once again convinced that the solution lies precisely in what the center means: clarity and moderation at the same time and, of course, a rejection of radicalism, the potential of which we have been able to observe all too well in our society over the past year.

On the evening of the election, the focus was once again on US Vice President J.D. Vance’s speech at the Munich Security Conference, which provoked a great deal of justified criticism. The American politician indirectly recommended the AfD for possible government participation, either against his better judgment or quite deliberately (one wonders which would be more questionable).

Destabilization of Europe

In doing so, he is probably following Elon Musk’s course of seeing the destabilization of Europe as a national interest of the USA. This is as regrettable as it is foolish. But if we categorize Vance’s statements about «disregarding citizens” solely as an AfD election campaign, we are certainly making it too easy for ourselves.

The fact that politicians in Germany do not understand the problems formulated by the people of this country sufficiently gives me pause for thought. Perhaps they do not want to understand them. A representative democracy thrives on taking people’s worries and concerns seriously. It is important that the parties of the democratic spectrum find their own answers. Otherwise others will.

After such an election, however, each individual should also ask themselves what their contribution to our coexistence actually is. Although politics play a decisive role in shaping our country, we are all responsible for ensuring that Germany experiences economic success again, that it is a humane country that also clearly stands up for its values.

I am not against tough discussions, but the migration debate of recent weeks in particular has been characterized by resentment and attempts to gain short-term positions, even among supporters of the democratic parties.

Asylum and Immigration

We finally need clarity in dealing with asylum and immigration. However, this should never be about simply leaving those who come to us for help to fend for themselves. Nevertheless, we need a regulation that ultimately does justice to everyone and does not naively overestimate the extent of our own abilities.

It is also important to me that we don’t just talk about preventing illegal migration, but also about enabling legal migration, which is also the reason for the diverse Jewish life in Germany today. This aspect is always forgotten.

Jews are far too often a mere projection surface for politics and society anyway. However, we will not allow ourselves to be appropriated, but will confidently stand up for our interests and fight hard for them.

Unknown Structures

In doing so, we must become concrete: There must finally be an end to the outflow of German taxpayers’ money into unknown structures that ultimately also lead to Hamas. It is inexplicable to me how this practice can still be defended.

The situation is similar with state support for individuals and groups that stir up hatred of Israel and spread antisemitic narratives. If we really care about our values of freedom, let’s finally stop this nonsense.

Freedom is not defended with bans. That is clear. But the free and sometimes willful erosion of liberal values cannot go on for much longer. It is a free ticket for populists and extremists who would not improve things, but destroy everything. Please, let’s not give them another round.

The author is President of the Central Council of Jews in Germany.