Discussion on Eastern Germany's Democratic Crisis and Political Shifts

Publisher Jakob Augstein and writer Jana Hensel engaged in a conversation about the democratic crisis in Eastern Germany, examining the broken promises of reunification and the rise of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Hensel, known for her book about growing up in the German Democratic Republic, recently published a new work exploring why Eastern Germany is distancing itself from democracy. The discussion highlighted how Eastern Germany re-emerged on the political and media landscape around 2015, often from right-wing perspectives. They noted that Olaf Scholz's 2021 election victory was significantly influenced by Eastern German voters. The conversation addressed deeper reasons behind the AfD's growth and the global challenges facing democratic systems. Both participants have a professional history, having previously worked together at the publication Freitag.