Germany — the preeminent European country for the past century, third in world GDP, the biggest economy in Europe, and pivotal to the fortunes of the European Union — voted to elect a new parliament last month amid general voter dissatisfaction.
Immigration, economic slowdown, and security concerns dominated the election agenda, with an energy crisis, inflation, and housing shortages contributing to anxiety.
On immigration, about 25 percent of Germany’s population has a migrant background, but during the past year the previous welcoming consensus has shifted sharply negative.
The sentiment now prevails that integration and cultural change impact national identity — and welfare measures for immigrants compromised the benefits for Germans, especially because the Ukraine war impacted national spending with cutbacks across all sectors, except defence.