The German National Cabinet

Dear Delegates,

First and foremost, welcome to Yale Model Government Europe! I am truly honored and excited to be chairing the national cabinet of Germany along with the Foreign Affairs Council this year. I hope that our committee and the conference as a whole become invaluable experiences for everyone involved.

But first, a little bit about myself: My name is Eujin Jang, and I am a member of Yale Class of 2020 in Silliman College. Although born in Seoul, I grew up all over the United States (mainly in Atlanta), and I currently live in Boston. At Yale, I am considering pursuing a major in Economics and Mathematics. I participated in MUN throughout high school and found the experience truly valuable. Therefore, I am continuing my involvement in college by serving on the secretariats of several other Yale International Relations Association (YIRA) conferences, including Yale Model United Nations (YMUN), Yale Model United Nations Korea (YMUNK), Yale Model United Nations Taiwan (YMUNT), and the International Relations Symposium at Yale (IRSY). On campus, I am also part of the Elmseed Enterprise Fund, Dwight Hall Socially Responsible Investment Fund, and Yale College Council. In my free time, I’m a huge music fan (especially of hip-hop) and have been playing basketball for ten years (fantasy sports enthusiast). Napping and eating good food are some other notable passions of mine.

Besides serving as a committee chair, I am also serving as this year’s Under-Secretary General of Finance, and I cannot wait to see what great things and invaluable memories will be created at YMGE 2017. I am greatly looking forward to meeting you all in person this upcoming November. Meanwhile, feel free to reach out to me at eujin.jang@yale.edu with any questions, comments, or concerns regarding our committee or the conference in general. See you in Budapest!

Best Regards,

Eujin Jang

The Cabinet of Germany acts as the chief executive body of the Federal Republic of Germany. Its organization structure and methods of election and appointment are established in the German Basic Law, the Grundgesetz.

The Cabinet is composed of the Chancellor and cabinet ministers. The Chancellor is the head of government and real chief executive of Germany, elected by the federal parliament (Bundestag) upon proposal by the President. Upon election, the Chancellor is then appointed by the President. Cabinet ministers are appointed by the President as well, but upon proposal by the Chancellor. Currently, the cabinet ministers include: Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs; Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy; Federal Minister of the Interior; Federal Minister of Justice and Consumer Protection; Federal Minister of Finance; Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs; Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture; Federal Minister of Defence; Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth; Federal Minister of Health; Federal Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure; Federal Minister for the Environment. Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety; Federal Minister of Education and Research; Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development; Head of the Federal Chancellery.

The Cabinet’s political vision and mission are determined by the Chancellor. Cabinet ministers can independently carry out duties as long as they follow the political directives set by the Chancellor and pass the Chancellor’s oversight.

At the most basic level, extremism is defined as the “advocacy of extreme measures or views,” mostly in a political or religious sense. Often, the term extremism implies that the ideology supported lies far outside the range of what is considered mainstream or acceptable by social consensus. Although Germany has been more politically-stable in the past few decades than it has for the rest of the century, it is experiencing the trend of rising political extremism (as many other Western nations have been similarly experiencing). The roots of political extremism in Germany can be traced to ideologies and trends from even the past century, and the recent challenges of terrorism, immigration, and the refugee crisis in Europe have not only exacerbated the issue but brought them to a more prominent and visible position than ever before.

Far-Right Extremism:

The Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (BfV), the domestic intelligence service of the Federal Republic of Germany, defines and targets several types of political extremism. The BfV defines far-right extremism as “various forms incorporating nationalist, racist and anti-Semitic ideology elements to different degrees and pursuing correspondingly different objectives. It is governed by the idea that belonging to a specific ethnic group, nation, or race determines a human being’s value”.

The history and development of the most traditionally well-known neo-Nazi party, the National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD), serves as an indicative example of how far-right political groups have formed and operated in Germany so far. The NPD political platform most notably opposes immigration, capitalism, European economic and political integration, and military involvement in the Middle East. The party derived its roots in the German Reich Party after World World II. Although formed in West Germany, since the German reunification, the NPD has received most support in former East Germany. Potential causes for this regional disparity include the significantly lower standard of living in East Germany, as economic frustrations and a hatred of foreigners can serve as potent ammunition for extremist political groups.

Another notable example of the development of far-right extremism in Germany is Pegida (Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West), and anti-Islam and anti-immigration movement. Since its founding, Pegida has moved towards legitimizing itself as an active political party through the “parliamentary arm” of the movement. Pegida has combined forces with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party as well in hopes to capture an increased number of constituencies in the upcoming next election.

Far-Left Extremism:

Although less visible recently, left-wing extremism does also exist in Germany. As defined by the BfV, “left-wing extremists endeavor to overcome the existing state and social order by replacing democracy with a communist or anarchist system. To this end, they participate in social protests, trying to instrumentalise them for their purposes”.

Far-left extremism differs from far-right extremism in that although the movement boasts a relatively long history in the era of communism, primary motivations have altered throughout time. Ideologies such as radical egalitarianism and anti-capitalism have stemmed from the 20th century and continue to exist, but structured organization of groups is lacking compared to far-right organizations. Actions taken by organizations are relatively less focused on high-profile figures and government, and they instead focus on police and far-right advocates.

One of the primary differences with the far-right extremists is that the far-left extremists in Germany do not have a political party of their own. Although far-left parties do exist, most of the significant left parties are significantly more moderate, as extreme cases like communism lack support. Thus, far-left extremists in Germany tend to receive less attention by German media and academia.

Summary:

Political extremism in Germany has direct roots in 20th century Western ideologies and has been sustained ever since the post-World War II era

Far-right extremism mainly features nationalist, racist, and anti-Semitic ideologies; gradually turning to political means

Far-left extremism, although less visible and less frequently covered by media, does also exist; it is less politically active than its far-right counterpart

Recent European issues of immigration, refugees, and economic hardship are leading to growth in extremist organizations and resurfacing the issue more than ever before

Political extremism in Germany has taken a notable surge ever since 2015 when the state accepted a record number of more than one million migrants and refugees into its borders. Rising fears of terrorism after the Paris and Brussels attacks also contribute to this daunting trend of more visible political extremism. As interior minister Thomas de Maizere stated, “[e]xtremist groups, whatever their orientation, are gaining ground in Germany,” with “not just a rise in membership but also an increase in violence and brutality.”

Politically-motivated Violence

According to Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (BfV), the domestic intelligence service of the Federal Republic of Germany, the number of far-right violence cases spiked from 990 to 1408 from 2014 to 2015. From threats against politicians and journalists to arson attacks on refugee shelters, the intensity and quantity of crimes has been steadily increasing since 2015. Meanwhile, the effectivity of the German police department in preventing these crimes is being increasingly questioned. As of June 2017, “of the 462 right-wing offenders with outstanding warrants, 104 are wanted for crimes classified as violent and 106 are wanted for crimes classified as politically motivated.” However, cases of violent political extremism are not limited to far-right factions. From 2014 to 2015, cases of far-left violence also saw a sharp increase, from 995 to 1608 in just a year.

Politically motivated violence becomes even more concerning when taking into mind two other trends: the increasing number of first-time offenders and the increasing prominence of organized violence. An increasing number of individuals previously unknown to authorities as extremists are becoming involved in far-right extremist crimes as Germany’s spectrum of right-wing extremists increased, and more and more people admit to being willing to resort to violent acts. The numbers of individuals joining the extending far-right spectrum is also concerning, as more than 8500 have joined groups including the far-right music scene, skinhead cliques, and loose internet associations.

Organized political crime calls for even greater concern. In June 2017, the German counter-terror force GSG 9 led raids against Reichsbürger, a far-right extremist group, amid concerns for the threat of attacks. Police seized guns, weapons, and drugs from a network of right-wing extremists operating paramilitary training camps in German forests. Some of the organization’s members are suspected to be associated with an internationally active extremist movement aiming to abolish social and governmental order in not only Germany but other European countries. This police raid has been one of several, as government crackdown on resurgent far-right groups has increased since October 2016, when a Reichsbürger shot and killed a police officer, shocking the entire country. How should the German government approach the prevention of politically motivated violence in Germany? What intrinsically motivates people to join extremist movements and commit hate crimes?

Summary:

Since the influx of migrants and refugees in 2015, politically motivated violence has sharply increased on both sides of the political spectrum

The number of individuals willing to resort to violence and commit crimes for the first time is steadily increasing

Organized crime networks are a growing concern for German authorities

Extremist Political Rhetoric

Concern for political extremism extends beyond physical violence and criminal activity. Recently, rising political extremism in Germany has also been surfacing through changes in rhetoric in media, politics, and everyday life alike. Researchers are reporting that words previously associated with Adolf Hitler’s Nazi ideologies are increasingly being used to criticize the German government’s refugee policies. Previously taboo words that reflect the Nazi concept of racial purity have reemerged in political discourse, both by politicians and public citizens. For example, the term “Volksverrater” (“Traitor of the people”) is increasingly used against Angela Merkel’s cabinet by those who disagree with recent German refugee policies. The chairwoman of the Alternative for Germany (AFD) party has used terms such as “Völkisch” (“ethnic”), which is associated with the Nazi concept of a superior German race. The connotations of the word cannot be viewed as strictly negative, since there are other associations and usages. However, her claims were still met by disapproval from other parties and media sources, which argued against Nazi ideology and rhetoric. Meanwhile, the German media has been criticized by some extremist parties as "Lügenpresse" ("lying press"), a term once used by Hitler to criticize unfriendly media coverage. While these linguistic trends are certainly not overwhelmingly widespread or definitively indicative evidence of Nazi allegiance, it is worth considering how political extremism can take forms besides physical violence. How influential can exposure to certain sensational terms, rhetoric, and ideologies be to the German political and social sphere?

Summary:

Political extremism in Germany is also taking form in sensational rhetoric used by politicians and the public alike

Government Reaction

Under German law, every political party receives funding from the state, with the sum of funding depending on its proportion of representation in the state, national, and European parliaments, as well as the amount of self-fundraising it conducts. Thus, German lawmakers made a significant decision in June 2017, when it voted to end financing for “parties hostile to the constitution.” As Minister of Justice Heiko Maas stressed, "enemies of democracy must not be financed by the state,” especially not by taxpayers’ money.

The passing of this law by the Bundestag was achieved through an overwhelming vote of 502-57. Even more notable about this decision is the contrast to previous similar initiatives in German parliament. For example, in January 2017 the German courts rejected a court case seeking to ban the NPD, ruling that the xenophobic fringe movement was could not significantly threaten German democracy. Currently, the NPD party, deemed as racist and anti-Semitic by German intelligence, has yet to win a seat in the federal parliament and has lost all seats in regional assemblies. However, it retains representatives on local councils, and was receiving about €1m a year in federal funding.

The German government has also taken other initiatives against extremism of all forms. For example, Germany’s 2018 “national prevention program” against extremism will invest about €100m into combatting Islamist extremism in particular. Measures include supporting mosque communities and preventing the spreading of radicalization on the internet. Germany also recently updated its National Action Plan against Racism, which aims to protect against discrimination in all aspects of life through means such as education and political education, as well as the discouragement of racism and hate speech on the internet. The Action Plan also extends to address the issues of homosexuality and transphobia in Germany. As Minister of Family Affairs Katerina Barley stated, these policies reflect the belief that “security and prevention must go hand in hand” in the fight against political extremism in Germany. As a cabinet member, you should consider what sort of policies and actions the German government can take to prevent and protect against political extremism in both the short and long-term.

Summary:

German legislation recently banned state funding of political parties deemed dangerous to German democracy

Recent policies target the spread of racism and discrimination in several aspects of German life

With the next German elections, it will be interesting to see where the parliament will stand on policies regarding political extremism

In order to effectively address the topic of political extremism in Germany, delegates must first build a thorough understanding of the causes and consequences of extremism upon the political and social sphere.

Causes of extremism can be broken down into more historical causes and recent developments. For historical causes, delegates are encouraged to research World War II and post-World War II German ideologies, including but not limited to Nazism, communism, nationalism, etc.. The German society was uniquely and significantly affected by ideologies of this time period, and many political extremist groups derive its roots and main principles from this era. In more recent times, political extremism can often be instigated by macro-scale societal challenges such as economic conditions and immigration and refugee policies. Because many of the hardships the German state faces today are common to the entire European continent, delegates must develop a thorough understanding of Germany’s responses and stake in such issues.

Furthermore, delegates can consider how the rise of political extremism in Germany is not a trend unique to Germany. Islamist extremism has also been experiencing a surge in the recent decade, and the consequences upon Europe have been extensive and highly publicized. Several other Western states have recently experienced surges of ideologies such as nationalism and populism, including neighboring France in the recent election. Other cases include the United States and Russia. These cases features “extremists” of various and variable extents, but it is worth noting that the recent developments in Germany can be compared with cases of political extremism in other countries to more effectively consider what the German state can expect next – and most importantly, what a viable and effective solution may look like.

Finally (and perhaps most importantly), the year 2017 will be a critical year for the German state, as it is federal election year. Elections could significantly influence policies and actions from all parties, and delegates should make an active effort to stay up to date with the German political scene. Political extremism could significantly influence developments during this year’s elections, the results of which can greatly determine the future of not only Germany but the entire European continent.

The 2017 German federal elections resulted in the victory of Angela Merkel for her fourth consecutive term as German Chancellor. However, arguably more notable is the smaller but definitely significant victory of the German far-right in the elections. Merkel's party not only saw decreases in representation in parliament, but the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) won enough seats to become the third most represented political party in the Bundestag, shocking the traditionally dominant parties. In fact, the AfD, formed only four years ago, became the first far-right party to enter the Bundestag since 1961. The party is most well-known for its platform's anti-mass immigration policies, anti-Islam stance, and nationalistic rhetoric.

In her post-victory addresses, Merkel vowed to undergo "thorough analysis" of the AfD's platform and success to better understand these recent trends in German society. "There's a big new challenge for us, and that is the entry of the AfD in the Bundestag," she said. "We want to win back AfD voters."

The AfD fared especially well in Eastern Germany (along with the South), which includes Berlin, putting it on course to become the second largest political party in the East. The local party leader of Berlin, Georg Pazderki, was quoted saying "For the first time, we have a conservative party right beside our Christian Democrats and this is because they moved more and more to the left and we moved into the vacuum." This fact is especially concerning, as political extremism on both sides of the aisle seem to be causing polarization in German politics.

The entrance of the AfD in parliament also brings about new challenges, as currently no other German political party claims to be willing to work with the AfD. This sort of dynamic will not only cause inefficiency, but brings about several challenges and limitations for Merkel and her cabinet to form working coalitions to push their platform and policies. The Bundestag is scheduled to reconvene on October 24, 2017, and delegates are encouraged to follow updates as they occur.