The president of the Greek community in Berlin, Panagiotis Matlis, has voiced his concern over the rise of the far right in Germany following the recent national election.
Election results showed that the Alternative for Germany, or AfD, doubled its support in just four years, reaching 20.8%. The party has expanded beyond its stronghold in the east, becoming the second-largest political force in the Bundestag.
“The Greeks of Germany, particularly those in Berlin, voted for democratic parties, and we take pride in the fact that our community has no trace of far-right influence. We did not vote for AfD – we despise it,” Matlis told public ERT radio.
When asked whether the Greek community is worried about the AfD’s strong performance, Matlis acknowledged ongoing concerns. “Yes, there was – and still is – unease. As you know, in recent months, we have witnessed terrorist acts and outside interventions. There was apprehension, and we can consider ourselves fortunate that things did not escalate further. However, if we examine Germany’s political landscape, most of AfD’s support comes from the former East Germany, where where (social and economic) disparities persist,” he said.
Nevertheless, he expressed optimism that Friedrich Merz would be able to form a coalition between his Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) and Olaf Scholz’s center-left Social Democrats (SPD), despite the latter’s worst-ever showing.
“Despite our concerns, we are confident that the democratic parties – namely the CDU and SPD – have no choice but to form a government and support society,” he said.
According to the Greek community’s data, approximately 500,000 Greeks live in Germany, with around 25,000 residing in Berlin.