ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

German Left's Cultural War Strategy Backfires, Strengthens AfD

opinion-review · 2026-07-22

An opinion piece argues that the German left's strategy of ostracizing the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has failed. The author claims that the 'firewall' against the AfD has instead acted as an accelerant, boosting the party's popularity and promoting a low-intellectual-effort political style. The events of the past weekend are cited as evidence that the exclusionary approach has backfired.

Key facts

  • The German left's strategy of excluding the AfD has failed.
  • The 'firewall' against the AfD has become a 'fire accelerator'.
  • The strategy has boosted the AfD's popularity.
  • It has promoted a political style based on minimal intellectual effort.
  • Recent weekend events demonstrate the failure of the exclusion strategy.

Entities

Institutions

  • Alternative for Germany (AfD)

Locations

  • Germany

Sources