“If politics is just for Show and provocation, the danger of the Manipulation of the people is tremendously high,” says the German political scientist Wolfgang Merkel in the interview-and highlights the role of the traditional media.
In the Austrian castle of Eckartsau international historians came together this month to discuss the topic of “1918-1938-2018: Dawn of an Authoritarian Century”. The conference was devoted to historical-political issues that are current and relevant. The Central question was: Are we turning in front of an authoritarian? DW spoke with the German political scientist Wolfgang Merkel.
Deutsche Welle: your research focuses on democracy and democratisation. How good it is to today’s democracy?
Wolfgang Merkel: There are challenges to democracy in the 21st century. Century. I will mention four which have not coped with the developed democracies, and perhaps never cope. Firstly, you are disempowered, democratic nation-States. Secondly, the socio-economic inequality: they undermined the principle of equality, of democracy. Thirdly, the ethnic-religious heterogeneity. Fourthly, a loss of Reputation to the representative institutions such as parliaments and parties. An additional internal challenge is the constant emergence of a party family, which shows at least dubious characteristics in terms of their capacity for Democracy. By that I mean the right-wing populists.
Why lose the social Democrats in popularity, while the right-wing populists to grow strong?
The social democracy is to have slipped strongly in the middle. She is pursuing a civil policy, and is therefore in Germany are distinguishable from the CDU. A further motive can be a cultural line of Conflict between Cosmopolitans and communitarians within the social democracy. The former want open borders. The latter want to appeal to the community and the limits of economic goods, state competencies, and refugees, control and closing. The company cuts. The social democracy has a lot of traditional voters in the working class. However, it is now a very cosmopolitan area. The direct reference to the workers and their problems was lost, their voters are directly changed to the right-wing populists.
The Opening up of party structures – from movement to Initiative – the public good. Why?
Across Europe, there are achievements of the “Movimento Cinque Stelle” in Italy, on Mélenchon in France to “Podemos” in Spain, and now also “Stand up” in Germany with Sahra Wagenknecht. The Short list is not a movement, that would be a misnomer. But the Political elites – to Macron – want to signal to the population: We are not like the other parties. I would call that a populism of the middle. They distance themselves from the original parties, the parties then relatively authoritarian and exploit the Sentiment against the parties. Similar to the strategy of the right-wing populists against the “Old parties”.
How much the Show is able to tolerate the policy?
It is interesting, what we are experiencing now, especially with the populist power of opportunists in the White house. He is using populist tactics in order to secure the voters ‘ reservoir. In addition, the constant is part of breaking a taboo. This ensures that the appears to be a taboo breaker in the media. Who has started mostly in the 1980s, was Jörg Haider: He has gezündelt with the Waffen-SS, brother and so on. Trump has driven the on the top. He provoked and appears the next day in the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN – all opponents of Trump explained, but he appears on the first page.
You can call this as a Trend of the provocation?
Yes, and it pays off politically. Even if negative, it is reported, is better than no news. One has the impression that the most powerful country in the world is ruled by a man who settles the Directive of the world by Tweet in the world. Since policy is made on Twitter. This shows how the electronic media to promote a style of communication that receives from above, to the representative institutions and parliaments, directly with the people contact.
This is the future of Europe?
No. We need to remember that discourses also take place in public, and not only in the digital shadows. If politics is just for Show and provocation, the danger of the Manipulation of the people is tremendously high. An important role traditional media play. Only you need to be careful not to teach, for their part, the people, such as at the time of the refugee wave in 2015. The media are extremely important, but you should hold back to want to the people to educate.
Democracy is for me…
…the best form of government.
The conversation, Katja Heine. The author completed a journalism education at the Catholic media Academy (KMA). In the framework of the training at the KMA was reported from the conference.