AfD Reduces Culture to Homeland Care in State Election Programs

Ahead of state elections in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has released cultural policy programs that reduce culture to homeland care (Heimatpflege) and announce reviews of cultural institutions. The party's platform expresses contempt for contemporary art, labeling it as ideological and threatening to artistic freedom. The AfD proposes to cut funding for projects deemed not aligned with traditional German values and to scrutinize museums, theaters, and cultural centers for political correctness. This marks a significant shift in cultural policy discourse in Germany, raising concerns among artists and cultural workers about censorship and the instrumentalization of culture for nationalist agendas.