• panthera_@lemmy.today
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    16 hours ago

    The way to undermine the AfD’s popularity is to adopt their popular views but in a milder form.

    • BlindPenguin@lemmy.world
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      13 hours ago

      That is quite literally the opposite of what every reputable political scientist is saying…

      Also, what the fuck is the “milder form” of deporting German citizens?

      • panthera_@lemmy.today
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        5 hours ago

        The centrist view on immigration would only permit migrants who have talent or needed skills.

        • BlindPenguin@lemmy.world
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          4 hours ago

          Besides the fact that we already had skilled-worker immigration programs for decades, you didn’t answer my question. You want the other parties to adopt AfD views “in a milder form”. Which views are those gonna be? Asylum? Immigration? Because the AfD is conflating those. And judging from their little meeting in 2024, their politicians made it clear that they also planning to deport German citizens that don’t fit their racist ideas.

          EDIT: Oh, and before i forget. There are other topics the AfD is going against “the mainstream”. I wonder what the “milder form” is there. The topics among others:

          • Climate change denial
          • LGBT+ rights denial
          • Withdrawal from Nato
          • Stripping citizenships
          • Weaken or leave the EU
          • Reverse gay marriage
          • Ending military support to Ukraine
      • panthera_@lemmy.today
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        5 hours ago

        From https://www.visaverge.com/news/friedrich-merz-leads-conservative-push-to-reshape-germanys-immigration-policy/

        Chancellor Friedrich Merz has implemented sharply more restrictive migration policies while prioritizing pathways for specialized labor.

        Permanent border controls and technology-driven surveillance led to a 42% drop in irregular crossings during 2025.

        The Skilled Immigration Act was updated to fast-track visas for nurses and engineers to address labor shortages.

        • nightlily@leminal.space
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          2 hours ago

          As a skilled immigrant to Germany, Merz didn’t do shit except further restrict pathways we had towards citizenship. The immigration offices remain underfunded and overworked to the extent that many skilled immigrants would rather leave Germany (or indeed are forced out due to missed deadlines from immigration processing) than continue to deal with them.

    • njm1314@lemmy.world
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      14 hours ago

      A milder form of racism and hatred? Isn’t that just normal conservativism?

      • panthera_@lemmy.today
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        5 hours ago

        The AfD could be motivated by racism and hatred. The centrist motivation would be to preserve a country’s cultural identity. This could be achieved by only permitting migrants with talent or needed skills.

        • nightlily@leminal.space
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          2 hours ago

          There’s already an Einbürgerungstest as part of permanent residency and citizenship. Many native born Germans couldn’t pass it.