Activists in eastern Germany face far-right threats and build alliances for democracy

Fighting for democracy and human rights in Germany today means mustering up a lot of courage.

For Felix Pankonin, locking and checking all doors and windows around the house has become practically second nature. Sometimes, a hot-tempered lawmaker from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party shows up on his property. Pankonin's bicycles have been vandalized, and he has received threats that something will happen to his animals. Most recently, his partner was physically assaulted.

Pankonin is the project director of educational programs on political issues, Jewish history and antisemitism at the Hillersche Villa in Zittau, in the eastern German state of Saxony.

The situation is similar for Keerthana Kuperan, who works as a political adviser at DaMOst, the umbrella organization for migrant groups in eastern Germany. Kuperan, whose parents are from Sri Lanka, said right-wing extremism has had a major impact on her work over the past three years.

"We have completely different security protocols now. After 6 p.m. no one is left alone in the office, and when putting up posters in rural areas, security measures are put in place beforehand," she said.

Kuperan's work is primarily focused on ensuring the safety of activists. Another aspect of her work involves dealing with challenges from the AfD, which files parliamentary information requests, often on migration, in order to delay political proceedings and highlight issues that should not really be controversial.

In Saxony-Anhalt, a federal state with a very low proportion of foreigners, state legislative elections will be held on September 6. DaMOst observes that the political landscape has shifted to the right. This has led to the discrediting of democratic networks, which has affected their funding and job opportunities.

Green Party politician becomes target of hostilities

Miriam Zeller, a city councilor in Stendal, a city of 37,000 in northern Saxony-Anhalt, is a member of the environmentalist Green Party and is running in the election. Zeller told DW that the hostility against her was even more intense when the Greens were in power.

Her daughter stopped being invited to birthday parties, and she herself was viciously accused of being a warmonger. From the very beginning, the Greens had declared their solidarity with Ukraine after it had come under attack from Russia.

"It can't get any worse than this," said Zeller.

However, she pointed out that, fortunately, as a teacher, she is a civil servant and therefore cannot lose her job.

For others, the specter of losing one's job — should the AfD come to power — is very real.

Alliance for Democracy: Educating people on how to defend themselves

The Together for Democracy alliance aims to support individuals or institutions that are being attacked or threatened by far-right extremists — people like Pankonin, Kuperan and Zeller.

The aim of the group's Solidarity Agreement — which over 80 groups have signed, including labor unions, the major Christian churches, sports organizations, human rights groups as well as social and environmental organizations — is to ensure that anyone who is targeted for their commitment to democracy will not be left alone. The groups joined forces in 2024 to form an alliance against the far right when it became clear that attacks on democracy were intensifying.

Now, alliance members want to also offer help and support in the event of attacks on youth or cultural centers, hate campaigns against people who speak out publicly, or when volunteers are threatened — whether through public expressions of solidarity or by providing legal or financial support. The alliance includes powerful actors such as the German Trade Union Federation (DGB) and environmental organizations like Greenpeace.

Yasmin Fahimi, the head of the DGB, which has over 5 million members, took the opportunity to present the new agreement in Berlin. When asked by DW whether the AfD, in the event of an election victory, could actually fire all public employees, Fahimi was clear.

"This fantasy of the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt — to carry out a complete personnel shake-up in government agencies, ministries, courts and the police — is completely unlawful," Fahimi said. "We are making it clear to our members that they can fight back against this. It is also a manifestation of an authoritarian mindset to believe that one can simply issue a decree and do as one pleases. That's not how our democracy works."

That is why the DGB is training its members both in constitutional law and civil service law so they can defend themselves, Fahimi said. The trade union leader has called for more commitment from politicians.

"We must ensure — especially in regional areas, but also within our institutions — that people cannot simply be forced to comply with unlawful orders. I believe it would be good for the Conference of Interior Ministers to discuss how to provide clear information, seminars and workshops on these issues, so that public servants, ministry employees and staff at institutions governed by the rule of law are not left to fend for themselves," she said.

Teaming up to hlep 'bring this injustice to light'

"Of course, this alliance can mean more protection for queer people who are active on the ground," said Andre Lehmann, from the Queer Diversity Association(LSVD+) — a civil rights organization that has represented the interests and concerns of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans* and intersex queer people (LGBTQ+) since 1990.

"Right now, we're seeing a lot of attacks on Pride events all over Germany. In some cases, local organizers don't even know what to do in such situations. That's where an alliance like this can step in," Lehmann told DW.

The Islamist attack on the Pride event in Berlin has deeply unsettled the queer community, said Lehmann. On top of that, many democracy projects are being financially bled dry right now.

The alliance will hardly be able to make up for the lack of funding for democracy projects that has resulted from the federal government's cuts and restructuring. However, teaming up with other organizations helps build strength, said Sophie Lampl, who works for Greenpeace.

"That is certainly one of the strengths we can bring as an environmental organization: our ability to campaign. To provide support when civil society organizations or individuals are attacked, to publicly stand up for them and to bring this injustice to light," Lampl said.

Will the alliance also be able to help in rural areas?

Pankonin has often helped the Together for Democracy alliance — by providing legal advice, funding for security and moral support. Pankonin would like to see more involvement from major organizations in rural areas.

Green Party politician Zeller reports that she has also received aid from small local networks. She believes that a large network, with its newfound solidarity, can make a big difference and could be a vital source of support, even in rural areas.

For his part, Lehmann is determined. "We will defend our democracy and, if necessary, guide our local people through this valley," he said.

This article was originally written in German.