Germany faces a turning point: high energy costs, industrial decline, and social tensions are eroding trust in the mainstream parties. The AfD has surged to around a third of the vote, echoing Weimar-era patterns of economic frustration and political deadlock. Yet unlike Weimar, today’s Basic Law and EU integration provide stability—but if the “firewall” against the AfD blocks it from power while governing coalitions fail to deliver, frustration will deepen. The Demand for Recognition (DfR) explains this spiral: voters and parties alike want acknowledgment of their role and dignity. A National Renewal Compact, giving each major party visible ownership of key reforms, could stabilize industry, jobs, and democracy—avoiding a slow slide into modern Weimarization.
