"German Industry Leaders Speak Out Against AfD Ahead Of State Election," 30 August 2024

Ahead of two key state elections in Germany, the head of the German Federation of Industry has accused the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party of being economically incompetent, and warned that if they were to win either state it would make labor problems in Germany worse. He joins a growing number of business and industry leaders speaking out against the AfD...

The German business community in particular has expressed concern about what the rise of AfD in Thuringia and Saxony could mean for the regions' labor needs. Many regions in Germany are desperately in need of foreign workers, amid the impact of demographic decline and reluctance among young Germans to take up trades and apprenticeships, and business leaders are concerned the AfD's rhetoric may put off people from coming to work.

The party has not done much to allay those fears. Ahead of the election in Thuringia, Björn Höcke, the state's AfD chief, spoke out against a business initiative called "Made in Germany. Made by Vielfalt (diversity)" which advocates for and celebrates diversity in German workplaces... Höcke [wished] them "severe economic turbulence" and [said] he would not buy from any of the companies in the initiative, which counts beloved German brands such as Sennheiser and Miele among its members.

Now, the German business community fears, the rise of the AfD party will only further dissuade people from coming to work in Germany...