00:00A political bombshell.
00:02That's how some have described the massive gains of Germany's far-right
00:07Alternative for Germany party or AFD in two state elections.
00:12Since then, the mood in Germany has been rather depressed and subdued.
00:19The governing coalition has been punished.
00:22It is a vote against the chancellor.
00:25The AFD is going to ruin this country.
00:28It's not going to work.
00:30I don't know what will become of Germany.
00:33The fact that the AFD has done so well, especially in rural areas, is concerning.
00:39But just how bad is the situation really?
00:42And should foreigners in Germany truly be worried?
00:45Welcome to the flip side.
00:49You really don't have to be a historian to know that Germany has a rather dark
00:53past involving right-wing extremism.
00:56But how safe is the country?
00:58And is its democracy stable over 90 years since the Nazi ascent to power in 1933?
01:04In November last year, there was a meeting of major and important
01:11racist people of fascists from parts of Germany, different parts of Germany,
01:18even from Austria, who met up and were making plans to
01:23remigrate, that was their word, remigrate everyone who is having
01:28migration or international family history.
01:30So currently, over a quarter of Germany's 84 million people,
01:34including myself, have a foreign background.
01:38So do we all need to start packing our bags and leave this country amid this worrying growth
01:43in far-right support?
01:44If we notice that the AFD is getting more power, definitely we will
01:49think about, like, choosing a different country.
01:52I mean, how long do people have to live in this country to be a part of the country?
01:58And what do people with a foreign background think about the rise of the AFD?
02:02I'm really afraid and it's a kind of threat to our lives as well.
02:08And I always think of my children when something like this happens.
02:14They grew up here and I don't know, it's hard to explain.
02:18Look, the good news in all of this is that all other political parties have
02:23categorically rejected the idea of entering a coalition with the far-right party.
02:30I think it's basically right not to work with them.
02:33The fact that Germany's democracy has multiple safeguards against fascism and Nazism,
02:39as well as robust independent democratic institutions,
02:42may well be the silver lining we all need to focus on right now.
02:47And regarding the issue of foreigners specifically,
02:50the fact that Germany is in dire need of foreign-skilled workers remains,
02:55whether the AFD and its supporters like it or not.
02:58Different people from different countries will not feel safe to come over here,
03:03to work here, to be disrespected.
03:06And that is the flip side.
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