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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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 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 \u2013 we despise it,\u201d Matlis told public ERT radio.<\/p>\n
When asked whether the Greek community is worried about the AfD\u2019s strong performance, Matlis acknowledged ongoing concerns. \u201cYes, there was \u2013 and still is \u2013 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\u2019s political landscape, most of AfD\u2019s support comes from the former East Germany, where where (social and economic) disparities persist,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, he expressed optimism that Friedrich Merz would be able to form a coalition between his Christian Democrats (CDU\/CSU) and Olaf Scholz\u2019s center-left Social Democrats (SPD), despite the latter\u2019s worst-ever showing.<\/p>\n
\u201cDespite our concerns, we are confident that the democratic parties \u2013 namely the CDU and SPD \u2013 have no choice but to form a government and support society,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
According to the Greek community\u2019s data, approximately 500,000 Greeks live in Germany, with around 25,000 residing in Berlin.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n