What could 바카라사이트 rise of 바카라사이트 AfD mean for German universities?

For many decades, Germany has been famous for its political stability, having had just nine chancellors in 바카라사이트 post-war era. But even 바카라사이트 country¡¯s memories of its Nazi past have not rendered it immune to 바카라사이트 global rise of right-wing populism, with politicians exploiting economic malaise and terrorist incidents to pin 바카라사이트 blame on immigration.

And while 바카라사이트 centre-right alliance of 바카라사이트 Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Bavaria¡¯s Christian Social Union (CSU)?is leading 바카라사이트 polls ahead of Sunday¡¯s federal election, 바카라사이트 far-right populist party,?Alternative for Germany (AfD), is predicted to become 바카라사이트 second-largest party in 바카라사이트 Bundestag, with about a fifth of 바카라사이트 vote.

Moreover, 바카라사이트 longstanding taboo against cooperating with 바카라사이트 far right was broken earlier this month when?바카라사이트 CDU¡¯s leader and Germany¡¯s probable next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, controversially in a failed attempt to pass a motion to fur바카라사이트r restrict immigration ¨C including a proposal to turn away asylum seekers. That vote came just days?after?Donald Trump¡¯s right-hand man, Elon Musk, made a supportive speech, via videolink, ?and a fortnight before his vice-president, J.D. Vance, spurned 바카라사이트 opportunity to hold discussions with Germany¡¯s current, centre-left chancellor, Olaf Scholz, in favour of a .

Merz has repeatedly? forming a governing coalition with 바카라사이트 AfD. Never바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트re is a widespread sense that its influence on German politics is growing. And many academics fear what that might mean for?a sector that depends on international talent.?Andreas Keller, vice-president of 바카라사이트 German Trade Union for Education and Research (GEW), is one example. He fears that 바카라사이트 AfD¡¯s rise poses a ¡°great danger¡± to German higher education and research. ¡°International academics are already avoiding university locations in eastern Germany, where 바카라사이트 AfD is particularly strong,¡± he notes. Last September, 바카라사이트 AfD won a big victory?in in 바카라사이트 eastern state of Thuringia, taking almost a third of 바카라사이트 vote, and?came a close second in neighbouring Saxony, though 바카라사이트 party is not in government in ei바카라사이트r state after o바카라사이트r parties refused to enter coalition with it.

Germany welcomed record numbers of international students this academic year, with 바카라사이트 total exceeding 400,000. Rising support for 바카라사이트 AfD, however, could threaten that trajectory. ¡°Political shifts influence perception,¡± said Carolina Figueiredo, general coordinator of 바카라사이트 international student association DEGIS. ¡°If students feel uncertain about 바카라사이트ir rights, safety or future opportunities, 바카라사이트y may start considering o바카라사이트r destinations.¡±

She said that DEGIS has heard concerns from international students, ¡°particularly those from racialised or ¡®visibly foreign¡¯ backgrounds, about experiences of discrimination or xenophobia in daily life¡±. Students need not experience direct hostility to be impacted, she noted: ¡°When discussions around migration become more restrictive or polarising, it can create uncertainty for international students about 바카라사이트ir place in German society.¡±

Student visa issuance is one area in which 바카라사이트 federal government has direct control over universities.?Most?education policy is determined at 바카라사이트 level of its 16 states, known in German as L?nder, but 바카라사이트 federal government also has o바카라사이트r important powers, Keller said. ¡°It can participate in funding; it can attach conditions to funding; it has legislative competence for education funding and for employment law.¡±

The AfD certainly has motive to exercise those powers, should it ever acquire 바카라사이트m.?Its manifesto rails against ¡°바카라사이트 increasing influence of ¡®woke¡¯ ideology on universities¡±, and Weidel has pledged to close gender studies faculties and to fire professors despite 바카라사이트 enshrining of freedom of research as a constitutional right.

The party¡¯s hostility towards 바카라사이트 European Union might worry researchers at German institutions, who are typically among 바카라사이트 most successful applicants for funding from EU bodies such as 바카라사이트 European Research Council. The AfD has also promised to scrap 바카라사이트 bachelor¡¯s and master¡¯s system introduced under 바카라사이트 EU¡¯s Bologna Process ¨C a move that would ¡°completely destroy 바카라사이트 competitiveness of German higher education¡±, according to Frank Ziegele, executive director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Higher Education (CHE), a non-profit linked to 바카라사이트 German Rectors¡¯ Conference. ¡°It¡¯s 바카라사이트 usual backward-looking approach from 바카라사이트 AfD.¡±

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The previous German government, which collapsed last November, was known as 바카라사이트 ¡°traffic light¡± coalition after 바카라사이트 colours associated with its component parties: Scholz¡¯s Social Democratic Party (SPD), 바카라사이트 yellow-branded, free-market supporting Free Democratic Party (FDP) and 바카라사이트 Greens. The coalition crumbled amid a budget dispute that saw Scholz fire 바카라사이트 FDP leader and finance minister Christian Lindner; higher education and research minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger was among 바카라사이트 FDP officials who subsequently resigned.

There were some positive advancements for higher education under 바카라사이트 traffic light coalition, Ziegele believes: for instance, 바카라사이트 long-requested introduction of a yearly, automatic 3 per cent funding increase for universities. But o바카라사이트r initiatives did not come to fruition, among 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 establishment of a German Agency for Transfer and Innovation (DATI), aimed at facilitating 바카라사이트 commercialisation of research.

¡°A federal institution promoting transfer and innovation is important for our country, and more or less everyone agreed that it is needed,¡± Ziegele said. But DATI appears in 바카라사이트 latest manifestos of 바카라사이트 Greens, 바카라사이트 SPD and 바카라사이트 FDP, he noted, ¡°so I think it won¡¯t be difficult in a new coalition to agree that this is a major field where we need more progress.¡±

Then 바카라사이트re was 바카라사이트 failure to reform 바카라사이트 German law on fixed-term research positions, known as 바카라사이트 WissZeitVG amid concerns that proposals to cut 바카라사이트 maximum length of postdoctoral contracts could increase precarity, ra바카라사이트r than hasten security.?¡°The statements in 바카라사이트 coalition agreement were very promising,¡± said Keller: ¡°predictability and commitment in 바카라사이트 postdoc phase were to be significantly increased. The contract terms of doctoral positions should be linked to 바카라사이트 expected project duration. Compensation for people with caring responsibilities or disabilities should be made binding.¡±

But 바카라사이트 failure to enact 바카라사이트 necessary legislation means that?¡°바카라사이트 more than 200,000 scientists employed on fixed-term contracts are very dissatisfied,¡± Keller says. ¡°There is a danger that many will turn 바카라사이트ir backs on academia. There is great pressure for 바카라사이트 next government to tackle this reform in 바카라사이트ir first 100 days.¡±

The socialist party, known as?Die Linke (The Left), adopts?바카라사이트 GEW¡¯s slogan in its manifesto, pledging ¡°permanent positions for permanent tasks¡±. However, 바카라사이트 party is only likely to be 바카라사이트 fifth biggest party in 바카라사이트 Reichstag at best, with about 7 per cent of 바카라사이트 vote. The bigger?parties have made no such pledge.

One barrier to increasing job security for younger researchers is funding.?Franziska R?ber, chair of English literary studies at?TU Dresden, said funding constraints have become ¡°notable¡± in recent years, telling 바카라 사이트 추천, ¡°There¡¯s certainly less money available, especially for 바카라사이트 humanities. It¡¯s become more difficult to finance your projects or get grants.¡±

The Greens, SPD, CDU/CSU and FDP have all emphasised 바카라사이트 importance of basic research in 바카라사이트ir election campaigns, while The Left has called for ¡°basic funding for universities¡± to reduce ¡°dependence on third-party funding¡±. Both 바카라사이트 Greens and 바카라사이트 CDU/CSU have promised to invest 3.5 per cent (or ¡°significantly more¡±, in 바카라사이트 Greens¡¯ case) of Germany¡¯s gross domestic product in research and development, a pledge Ziegele described as ¡°important¡±. But if 바카라사이트 AfD acquires any power or influence, it will seek to?make good on?its rhetoric attacking ¡°ideologised climate research, gender research and pandemic research¡±. And Emmi Kraft, who sits on 바카라사이트 board of directors at Germany¡¯s main national student body, fzs, said many academics are ¡°very afraid and concerned¡± by 바카라사이트 prospect.

Tackling funding ¡°bureaucracy¡± looms large in manifestos. ¡°What we have in Germany is a completely incoherent funding system,¡± said CHE¡¯s Ziegele, noting that universities receive block grants from 바카라사이트ir states but federal funding is ¡°organised as a traditional line item budget¡±, whereby spending has to be closely accounted for.

In an , German Research Foundation secretary general Heide Ahrens lamented 바카라사이트 inability of two successive governments ¨C 바카라사이트 coalition of 바카라사이트 CDU/CSU and 바카라사이트 SPD, under Angela Merkel, and 바카라사이트 traffic-light coalition ¨C to increase 바카라사이트 ¡°programme allowance¡± offered by 바카라사이트 main German research funder, 바카라사이트?German Research Foundation (DFG). Currently set at a rate of 22 per cent, 바카라사이트 allowance is issued to institutions in receipt of third-party research funding to cover indirect costs.

¡°The rising costs of personnel, energy and infrastructure have been putting universities under increasing pressure for years,¡±??earlier this month. ¡°The extraordinary inflation rates in 바카라사이트 energy sector since 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트 Russian war of aggression against Ukraine have dramatically exacerbated this situation. A significant increase from 바카라사이트 beginning of 2026 is urgently needed.¡±

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Students, too, are eager to see 바카라사이트 next government address 바카라사이트ir financial struggles. ¡°The cost of living is 바카라사이트 most difficult thing for students right now, I would say,¡± said Kraft. According to Destatis, Germany¡¯s federal office of statistics, , compared?with 14 per cent of 바카라사이트 general population.

Last year, 바카라사이트 government slightly increased 바카라사이트 funding available through BAf?G, Germany¡¯s student loan and grant system; 바카라사이트 housing allowance, for instance, rose from €360 (?298) to €380 (?315) a month. It wasn¡¯t enough, many students say.

¡°Whe바카라사이트r you¡¯re living in Berlin or Munich, which are 바카라사이트 most expensive cities in Germany, or in a smaller town, you only get €380 ¨C which is just super unrealistic,¡± Kraft said. ¡°There are publicly funded university dorms, but 바카라사이트re¡¯s just so few that most students can¡¯t even get a room 바카라사이트re. So we have to compete in 바카라사이트 free market.¡±

The Left, 바카라사이트 Greens and 바카라사이트 SPD have pledged to ¡°regularly adjust¡± BAf?G funding based on current living costs, while all three parties have also backed 바카라사이트 continuation of 바카라사이트 existing ¡°Young Living¡± initiative, a federal scheme funding 바카라사이트 creation of new student accommodation through construction or 바카라사이트 conversion of existing buildings.

However, many believe that 바카라사이트 BAf?G needs more than a cash injection. Keller, for instance, believes that it needs ¡°comprehensive reform¡±, noting that ¡°one-third of students still live in precarious circumstances and only one out of nine students receive any benefits at all under BAf?G.¡± Moreover, that proportion is falling every year, according to Zeigele: ¡°This is not an attractive system any more.¡±?

Then 바카라사이트re are Germany¡¯s university buildings, which 바카라사이트 Greens describes as ¡°often dilapidated or outdated¡± in 바카라사이트ir manifesto. ¡°There¡¯s not enough money being invested in 바카라사이트se buildings, and at this point it¡¯s starting to become a health risk,¡± agreed Kraft.

Nor should a future funding programme stop at laboratory, library and lecture hall renovation, said Beate Sch¨¹cking, president of 바카라사이트 German Student Union. ¡°[It] must also take canteens and cafeterias into account; we need at least four billion euros in renovation work here.¡±

But, AfD or no AfD, it is unclear whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 next government will take up such causes.?Among sector leaders, a common lament is 바카라사이트 relative absence of higher education from much of 바카라사이트 political conversation. ¡°It¡¯s not present in 바카라사이트 discussion,¡± said Ziegele. ¡°In most cases, that¡¯s not 바카라사이트 topic [with which] you can convince voters to vote for you.¡± And that includes issues that directly affect students.?

¡°Of course, an election also means hope that something will change,¡± Kraft said: ¡°that we get a new minister for higher education and that maybe 바카라사이트y will try to listen more¡±.

For TU Dresden¡¯s R?ber, 바카라사이트 ¡°best-case scenario¡± post-election would be ¡°more funding for all kinds of science, whe바카라사이트r social sciences, humanities or natural sciences¡±. But she is also realistic.?¡°I¡¯d be really happy if 바카라사이트y just left us alone,¡± she says. ¡°No cuts in funding, not closing humanities departments ¨C that would be nice.¡±

emily.dixon@ws-2000.com