The number of voters in Germany with an immigrant background is on the rise, yet they are increasingly distancing themselves from the established centrist parties, according to a study by the Berlin-based German Center for Integration and Migration Research (DeZIM). In 2023, 12% of eligible voters in Germany had an immigrant background — meaning they or at least one parent were born without German citizenship — amounting to more than seven million people out of a population of nearly 84 million.

The study reveals that the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) still holds the greatest voter potential among immigrants and their descendants, with two out of three respondents considering it a viable option. The center-right Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) follows closely, but the bond with these parties appears to be weakening among younger generations, as co-author Friederike Römer noted during an online press conference.

Unsurprisingly, the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) has the least potential among immigrant-background voters, with nearly two-thirds rejecting the far-right party outright. However, the AfD enjoys significant support within Germany's Russian community, and it actively courts immigrant voters through targeted campaigns in their native languages, as highlighted by Martin Gerlach, federal executive director of the Turkish Community in Germany.

Gerlach criticizes mainstream parties for neglecting immigrant communities, pointing to issues like safety and Islamophobia that resonate deeply with these voters. He argues that anti-discrimination policies are often framed as progressive or left-wing, but for many immigrants, they are about constitutional protection. Political scientist Özgür Özvatan warns that by 2030, more than half of Germany's population will have an immigrant background, yet parties are failing to mobilize this demographic, missing a crucial opportunity for democratic engagement.

Özvatan suggests that immigrants from authoritarian countries, who have direct experience defending democracy, could be a powerful political force if granted citizenship and voting rights more swiftly. Meanwhile, the AfD is reportedly skilled at pitting different immigrant groups against each other, telling older immigrants they are distinct from newcomers and thus unaffected by debates on migration and deportation — a tactic that resonates with some, further eroding support for mainstream parties.

Source: www.dw.com