{"text":[[{"start":10.15,"text":"The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has seen a surge in support after it started criticising Donald Trump’s war in Iran, capitalising on voter discontent with the government and with soaring fuel prices. "}],[{"start":23.700000000000003,"text":"The party, which is classified as extremist and advocates for resuming cheap Russian energy imports, has risen in opinion polls from 25 per cent to 27 per cent since March, overtaking the ruling Christian Democrats, according to an FT poll tracker."}],[{"start":39.25,"text":"The AfD has capitalised on Germans’ anger with their country’s economic malaise by criticising the government but also by distancing itself from the US president and toning down its Maga rhetoric."}],[{"start":51.4,"text":"“These rising fuel prices have brought the issue of cost of living into sharp focus, exposed Germany’s vulnerability to foreign crises and reinforced dissatisfaction at the government’s economic and energy policies,” said Ursula Münch, a political scientist and director of the Academy for Political Education in Tutzing. German petrol prices are slightly higher than in neighbouring France or Austria."}],[{"start":75.6,"text":"“Certain barriers are breaking down,” including in “middle-class circles, where support for the AfD used to be frowned upon”."}],[{"start":null,"text":"
"}],[{"start":82.35,"text":"The AfD leadership is also tapping into deep-seated anti-American sentiment in eastern Germany ahead of three regional elections later this year."}],[{"start":91.64999999999999,"text":"In Saxony-Anhalt, the AfD is projected to win about 40 per cent of the vote in early September, ahead of the CDU, which is leading the current coalition. The party’s resurgence has increased the prospect of securing an absolute majority in the former communist state of 2mn people."}],[{"start":109.64999999999999,"text":"Shortly after the US-Israel strikes on Iran, AfD co-leader Tino Chrupalla, who comes from the eastern town of Görlitz, said he was “utterly disappointed in Donald Trump” for possibly starting “the third world war”. In April he called for the withdrawal of the roughly 38,000 US troops stationed on German soil."}],[{"start":129.54999999999998,"text":"Even the party’s other leader, Alice Weidel, an Atlanticist, called the Iran war “without a concept” and “adventurous”. “They went into this operation without a proper plan. They should have thought that through beforehand,” she said in late March."}],[{"start":144.2,"text":"“In eastern Germany, there are many voter groups who tend to favour a more sceptical stance towards America,” said Uwe Jun, a professor of political science at Trier University. “That criticism of US politics goes down very well with these voter groups.”"}],[{"start":161.29999999999998,"text":"The AfD’s rise underscores the political fallout in Europe’s largest democracy from Trump’s war, which prompted Tehran to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global oil and gas supplies. It also helps explain why Chancellor Friedrich Merz recently lashed out at the US president at a secondary school event, accusing him of entering this conflict without a strategy only for Washington to be “humiliated” by Tehran in ceasefire negotiations."}],[{"start":192.1,"text":"The crisis has intensified pressure over Merz’s coalition, which had to slash the growth forecast to 0.5 per cent this year, from 1 per cent previously. “These are critically low approval ratings” for the Christian Democrats, Münch said. "}],[{"start":205.79999999999998,"text":"She added that Merz’s party was on the verge of losing its Volkspartei status as broad-based catch-all party able to appeal across different layers of society."}],[{"start":215.6,"text":"The chancellor, who has failed to deliver on his promise to rekindle the economy, is taking the brunt of the criticism. "}],[{"start":222.04999999999998,"text":"Merz’s approval ratings are even lower than those of his Social Democratic predecessor Olaf Scholz at the end of his term, when he called early elections after his coalition collapsed, according to Peter Matuschek, chief of the polling institute Forsa."}],[{"start":238.95,"text":"“What frustrates the dissatisfied — the more than 80 per cent who are unhappy with him — the most is that he makes grandiose announcements and nothing comes of them,” Matuschek said. “There was talk of the ‘autumn of reform’, then ‘winter’, and ‘spring’.”"}],[{"start":254.29999999999998,"text":"Coalition spats — at times conducted in public — over welfare reforms and tax cuts have reinforced the feeling that the government lacked a coherent strategy, he added."}],[{"start":null,"text":""}],[{"start":264.95,"text":"The AfD was increasingly seen as the “most competent” party even on economic matters, a traditional trademark of the CDU, according to Jun. "}],[{"start":273.95,"text":"“Competence has always been the CDU’s greatest strength; when that suffers, it is a serious blow,” he said."}],[{"start":281.15,"text":"Münch said Merz’s €1tn debt-funded infrastructure and defence spending programme was also fuelling anxiety."}],[{"start":289,"text":"“People are extremely dissatisfied not only because so many jobs are lost, but also because at the same time, we are spending an enormous amount of money,” she said. “There had been hopes that this would boost economic growth. This hasn’t taken hold yet and maybe never will.” "}],[{"start":306.05,"text":"“There is that deep-seated feeling that the government has run out of ideas on the economy and is powerless,” Münch said. “And that leaves many people feeling powerless as well.”"}],[{"start":325.25,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1778574989_7799.mp3"}