Critics Warn of Rising European Fascism as Security Conference Begins in Germany

Because the annual high-level Munich Safety Convention will get underway, the Russia-Ukraine conflict is dominating the agenda, and we converse to 2 company protesting the convention. Economist, progressive chief and former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis says the European venture began with a noble objective of selling peace however finds itself at present “cornered” between Russian and NATO militarism. “Europe has been caught in a frenzy of warmongering,” says Varoufakis.

We additionally converse with German lawyer Melanie Schweizer, who was suspended from her job on the German Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs after being doxxed in an article revealed within the German tabloid Bild, owned by media large Axel Springer SE, for her pro-Palestinian on-line statements. She is operating for German parliament with the progressive get together MERA25 on this month’s elections and warns the nation’s political institution is more and more adopting the rhetoric and insurance policies of the far proper. “We see fascism taking part in out in actual time, and it’s getting worse by the day,” says Schweizer.

TRANSCRIPT

It is a rush transcript. Copy will not be in its remaining kind.

AMY GOODMAN: That is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, “Struggle, Peace and the Presidency.” I’m Amy Goodman.

We flip now to Munich, Germany, the place a high-level safety convention with dozens of world leaders is underway. On the high of the agenda, Russia-Ukraine conflict. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is anticipated to satisfy with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at present. Earlier this week, President Trump stated he would maintain bilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to finish the almost three-year-long conflict. The announcement stoked fears in Europe that Ukraine could be sidelined within the talks. That is chancellor — the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz talking final evening at a information convention in Berlin.

CHANCELLOR OLAF SCHOLZ: [translated] Nothing ought to be determined about Ukraine with out the Ukrainians, and nothing about Europe with out the Europeans. That could be a given. We agree on this with all our buddies and companions in Europe. … One factor is completely clear to me: Any negotiated answer should allow Ukraine to have armed forces at its disposal sooner or later that may repel any renewed Russian assault. It is a appreciable problem, financially, materially and logistically. This is able to exceed Ukraine’s monetary capabilities for the foreseeable future. We Europeans and our transatlantic and worldwide companions are wanted right here.

AMY GOODMAN: On Thursday, President Trump walked again his preliminary feedback and instructed reporters Ukraine would “in fact” be a celebration to talks with Russia.

Vice President JD Vance instructed The Wall Road Journal that the U.S. may slap Moscow with sanctions and even use, quote, “army instruments of leverage” if Vladimir Putin doesn’t comply with a deal guaranteeing Ukraine’s long-term independence. Vance instructed The Wall Road Journal he plans to inform European leaders to embrace populist events, cease mass migration and curb progressive insurance policies. Vance is not going to be assembly with the German chancellor, who’s the host of the convention.

In the meantime, over 40 protest rallies are deliberate in opposition to the safety convention in Munich this weekend.

For extra, we’re joined in Munich by two company. Melanie Schweizer is a lawyer who works on the German Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, a member of the progressive get together MERA25, operating for a parliamentary seat within the elections later this month. And we’re joined by Yanis Varoufakis, former finance minister of Greece. His most up-to-date e book, Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism. He’s scheduled to talk at one of many protest rallies in Munich Saturday. Their slogan, “Peace-capable as a substitute of war-capable!”

Yanis Varoufakis, we’ll begin with you. What precisely does that imply? And what’s your total message in Munich proper now, the place you could have the brand new vice chairman of the US, the brand new secretary of state? After all, they’re not the one members. The message, the highest story now’s the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

YANIS VAROUFAKIS: Effectively, Amy, Europe was once a beautiful peace venture. The entire level of bringing collectively completely different nations into the European Union was supposedly to ensure that there could be no extra conflict in Europe. Sadly, cornered by two completely different authoritarianisms — the authoritarianism of Putin, on the one hand, and the expansionary, warmongering forces throughout the U.S.-led NATO alliance — Europe has been caught in a frenzy of warmongering, primarily. To consider it, Amy, that our — that’s, the European Union’s — chief protection and safety spokesperson, the previous prime minister of Estonia, Kaja Kallas, solely two weeks earlier than she bought this place, had advocated the breakdown and the breakup of the Russian Federation. This was like a name for conflict.

So, we’re right here in Munich to exhibit this conversion of the European Union into the conflict union. And don’t overlook that this Munich Safety Convention, so to talk, is successfully a really weird bazaar for weaponry. All probably the most formidable conflict retailers and arms sellers of the world have gathered right here supposedly to debate peace. We’re right here in an effort to impose a peace narrative upon them.

AMY GOODMAN: Are you able to discuss what Trump is speaking about with making a proposal across the nuclear stockpiles of China, Russia and the US, Yanis?

YANIS VAROUFAKIS: Effectively, Trump’s motives are all the time suspect. And his negotiations might come to naught. However the concept of a negotiated climb down from the heights of this nuclear confrontation — keep in mind that the nuclear clock may be very, very near midnight now, the closest it has been within the final 50 or 60 years — that isn’t a foul concept to have this sort of tripolar, if you would like, triparty negotiation. However, in fact, who is aware of what that may result in, provided that Donald Trump is continually flooding the zone with uncertainty for a lot of very, very suspect targets?

AMY GOODMAN: I wish to carry Melanie Schweizer on this dialog, member of the progressive get together MERA25, operating for a parliamentary seat within the elections later this month. I stated that you just labored for — a lawyer working for the German Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. Are you able to discuss in regards to the stress you’ve been beneath and what’s occurred?

MELANIE SCHWEIZER: Sure. Thanks very a lot. Hello, Amy. Thanks for giving us area to talk right here.

I feel the scenario in Germany in the intervening time is actually dire. There’s a blatant assault on freedom of speech, freedom of meeting. We see a dismantling of the rule of legislation in Germany in the intervening time, a disaster of democracy. And we actually very a lot concern the upcoming elections in 10 days, and we truly assume that this is perhaps the final election earlier than fascism, as a result of the middle events, particularly the Social Democrats, the Inexperienced Social gathering, additionally the Left Social gathering, have — they’ve taken over the rhetoric of the far proper — not simply the rhetoric, but additionally the insurance policies.

So, they’ve made two new resolutions in opposition to freedom of speech. They’ve banned Francesca Albanese from talking at universities this and subsequent week, the politics — the politicians. So, they’ve completed a crackdown on the protests and antiwar motion, anti-genocide violence motion. Final week, it was banned to speak any language besides English and German, and that was as a result of lies unfold by Axel Springer, the most important right-wing newspaper in Germany, that’s consistently going after individuals, doxxing individuals. So, anybody, principally, who speaks out in Germany in the intervening time in opposition to the Israeli conflict crimes, in opposition to the federal government, is being subjected to political repression and likewise non-public and political doxxing, the place individuals lose their jobs, however when on the opposite facet you possibly can specific genocidal rhetoric with out fearing any penalties.

So, this is the reason I’m a candidate. For this reason I grew to become politically lively, as a result of I feel that is actually very critical. And as a German with the German historical past, you already know, I really feel compelled to talk up when within the face of oppression and injustice, and particularly being a lawyer being educated to uphold the Structure and, thereby, worldwide legislation.

Simply to offer you two current examples of, like, how that is being normalized right here, this hate speech, there was only recently a Jewish individual, a journalist, being accused of incitement of hatred as a result of he was merely saying a sentence that “We, as Jews, we don’t — we’re not victims,” you already know. So, at any time when somebody speaks up in opposition to this complete witch hunt, they turn out to be prosecuted. After which, simply yesterday, the Ministry of Inside tweeted a tweet, proudly saying that now in Germany we’re the one nation who deports individuals to Afghanistan. They usually had been proud about this. And there was an enormous backlash about this publish, that “How are you going to be proud as a European nation to deport to Afghanistan?” They usually had been saying, “the place the Taliban is ruling,” you already know? And at present, the chancellor was giving an interview, and the journalist was asking him, “So, what do you do, you already know, if the Worldwide Prison Courtroom involves the conclusion that this was genocide in Gaza?” And he stated, “I’m not going to reply these questions. It’s not doable. It is not going to occur.” And he stated, “It’s absurd. It’s simply not going to occur,” you already know? And this isn’t —

AMY GOODMAN: Melanie Schweizer, have you ever been suspended from the German Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs?

MELANIE SCHWEIZER: Sure, truly, I’ve. So, I had been voicing my opinion, and this on Twitter with my identify. After which I had been doxxed and came upon that I used to be working on the ministry. After which I used to be on holidays in December, and as quickly as I used to be supposed to return again in January, I used to be suspended from work with speedy impact. So, ever since this newspaper article from Axel Springer in Bild-Zeitung got here out, I by no means set one foot once more into the ministry. And I nonetheless do not know why, truly, as a result of I used to be — the one factor that I’m conscious of is that I used to be expressing my opinion in regards to the ongoing genocide and that I’m not — that this has to cease and that Germany has to cease delivering weapons and that there must be sanctions in opposition to Israel.

AMY GOODMAN: I wished to return to Yanis Varoufakis and discuss — discuss Elon Musk. Some are calling him the “X president” — not the previous president of the US, however the letter “X” — as he owns one of many largest, clearly, social media platforms on the earth, X, and stands subsequent to the president within the Oval Workplace, appears to be making a variety of the choices, additionally main a gathering with international leaders and, in Germany, simply held this two-hour freewheeling dialog with AfD, helps AfD. For those who may describe this get together in Germany that has risen so quickly? Would you describe it as a neo-Nazi get together? And the position, as you discuss technofeudalism, of Elon Musk?

YANIS VAROUFAKIS: Effectively, to start with the Various für Deutschland, the Various for Germany, it’s a get together which began life as a Euroskeptic get together in opposition to the thought of a standard forex. It used many tropes and lots of turns of phrase that alluded to a Nazi previous. It will be incorrect to name it a Nazi get together or a neo-Nazi get together. It will be proper to discuss with them as one other conservative, racist, xenophobic get together which alludes to the darkish period of the Nazi interval.

Concerning Musk as a technofeudal lord, it’s a must to keep in mind that Musk is likely one of the latecomers to the, what I name, technofeudalism. Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, you already know, Google, Microsoft had been the pioneers of technofeudalism. They created these digital techniques by which we’re encased, and, you already know, there’s large exploitation of everybody, of people that promote stuff on Amazon, of newspapers and media retailers, like your good selves, whose work is being usurped. However Musk, Musk was an ordinary capitalist. He was producing automobiles. He was producing rockets — not a really customary product, however however industrial-era product. After which he jumps on the bandwagon of Twitter. He buys it, as a result of he needs to attach his capitalist empire with what I name cloud capital, with this algorithmic capital, which has this exceptional capability to change our conduct, to switch our conduct. And anybody who owns that capability, that energy and that capital, that cloud capital, can extract large rents from the remainder of society. After which, in a short time, he determined to try this which robber barons all the time did up to now, which is, in fact, to cozy as much as authorities and to realize entry on to political energy. So, he’s a latecomer, however he does transfer fairly rapidly, doesn’t he?

AMY GOODMAN: Effectively, I wished to read to you from Reuters and The Wall Road Journal, “The person prone to turn out to be Germany’s subsequent chief warned … Elon Musk would face penalties for enhancing the far-right [AfD, Alternative for Germany], via his X social-media platform.” Friedrich Merz stated, “What occurred on this election marketing campaign can’t go unchallenged,” Merz, the front-runner within the polls forward of the February twenty third election, instructed The Wall Road Journal, “referring to what he sees as Musk’s interference in Germany’s election,” Musk repeatedly calling on X for Germans to vote for AfD, saying it may save the nation. And your response, for instance, if you’re Germany proper now and also you have a look at what’s occurred in the US, that Nazi salute that Elon Musk gave a number of occasions at a Trump rally?

YANIS VAROUFAKIS: Effectively, it’s mind-boggling that we ought to be witnessing these scenes at present, particularly from the South African mafia behind the PayPal mafia, bear in mind, individuals who grew up with apartheid of their heads.

However permit me to make a remark about Friedrich Merz, who would be the subsequent chancellor of Germany, in accordance with the opinion polls, and whom you talked about as having turned in opposition to Elon Musk and having accused Elon Musk, fairly accurately, for giving a platform to the chief of the Various für Deutschland, for Germany. Mr. Merz, regardless that he’s proper in placing ahead that criticism, is maybe the epitome of hypocrisy, as a result of you’ll have heard that solely, what, 10 days in the past, it was he, because the chief of the Christian Democratic get together, that’s the main get together in Germany, that went into mattress, proverbially, with the Various für Deutschland within the parliament of the Federal Republic of Germany in an effort to go, collectively — his Christian Democratic Union get together and the Various for Germany — to go collectively a xenophobic, racist, poisonous invoice that was turning in opposition to asylum seekers. So, this exact same man, who’s going to be the chancellor of Germany, who’s accusing Elon Musk of giving a platform to the ultra-right of the Various for Germany, is the one which has already bought into political mattress with the Various for Germany.

That is what we’ve come to. We at the moment are caught up on this agglomeration, on this unholy alliance, between the center-right and the ultra-right. And I very a lot concern that after the federal election, in precisely the identical method that we’ve already seen it in Austria, we’ve seen it within the Netherlands, the ultra-right and the center-right are going to be pushing the political spectrum deeper and deeper into the territory of weaponized misanthropy.

AMY GOODMAN: And, Melanie Schweizer, you’re operating in these elections for the progressive get together MERA25, which is new. Clarify what it’s and the importance of Elon Musk’s assist and the rise of AfD.

MELANIE SCHWEIZER: Sure, so, MERA25 is a comparatively new get together. It was established in Germany in 2021. So that is the primary federal election that we’re participating in. It’s a socialist internationalist, anti-imperialist get together that’s based, is also behind the motion, the European Motion of Democracy ’25, so DiEM25. And it’s a get together that’s firmly in opposition to militarization. And we consider that we want a motion, politically and out of doors of politics, to fight that warmongering that we’re seeing the rhetoric, this preparation of conflict, that feels increasingly like 1984, the e book, you already know.

And so, what we see right here can be it’s an instrumentalization of our previous, of our historical past, you already know. And so, antisemitism and purpose of state are used to instrumentalize and to weaponize in opposition to people who find themselves in opposition to this conflict machine, you already know? So, we’re being — we’re referred to as radicals for wanting an finish to the violence, for wanting to finish weapons deliveries. So, you already know, between 60 and 70% of the Germans are not looking for weapons deliveries to Israel anymore. And all of the events which can be in parliament need that, truly, and assist it, so they don’t seem to be — they don’t respect what their voters need, and so they do truly not signify them.

And, you already know, the identical goes with — these days it’s common sense in Germany that antisemitism is an Arab problem, when truly — and, you already know, that in some way we have now deserted our historical past with that. After which it comes that Elon Musk with the Nazi salute, that is being downplayed and never referred to as what it’s. However when individuals in Germany converse up for the rights of the Palestinian individuals, their proper to life, their proper to dignity, they’re referred to as antisemites.

So, what we see now’s it’s actually — we see fascism taking part in out in actual time. And it’s getting worse by the day, and it’s actually worrying and regarding. And it additionally seems, you already know, the media may be very a lot complicit on this. So, they might ask, for instance — as a result of we’re utterly anti this motion, they don’t give us any area to speak. They don’t give us protection for the upcoming elections. So, we, as a celebration that’s in opposition to this conflict motion, are being marginalized and truly threatened by the police, as nicely. We have now been instructed that we have now to tell them if we do any political exercise beforehand the elections in Berlin.

So, yeah, it’s simply — and Musk working along with the AfD is so very telling in regards to the world developments, as nicely. We’re globally going into fascism. And that’s why all of the — and the Israeli authorities in the intervening time also can inform very clearly. It’s a right-wing fascist authorities. So, this all goes hand in hand collectively.

AMY GOODMAN: Melanie Schweizer, we wish to thanks for being with us, member of the progressive get together MERA25, operating for a parliamentary seat within the elections later this month. Yanis Varoufakis, former Greek [finance] minister, each in Munich. Yanis Varoufakis is main one of many protests tomorrow.

Subsequent up, nicely, at present is Valentine’s Day. We’re going to talk with a reporter and an OkCupid safety whistleblower behind a serious new investigation, “Rape beneath wraps: how Tinder, Hinge and their company proprietor [Match.com] selected income over security.” Stick with us.