At a time when Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has emerged as the most popular political force in the country, overtaking even the traditional parties that have governed for decades, Germany’s state apparatus—together with allied cultural and media organisations—is intensifying efforts to isolate and discredit it.
The latest example comes from Berlin, where the Haus der Kulturen der Welt, a taxpayer-funded cultural institution, will in September host the ‘heimaten Festival für die plurale Demokratie’ (‘Festival for Plural Democracy’) an event with a distinctly ideological tone aimed at countering the populist right. Organised under the authority of Minister for Culture Wolfram Weimer and supported by the Federal Chancellery through the state-owned agency that organises cultural events (Kulturveranstaltungen des Bundes GmbH) in Berlin, the festival features a programme explicitly framed as a continuation of the “fight against the far right.”
Promoted under slogans such as “activism,” “anti-fascism,” “decolonisation,” and “belonging”, the festival will host panel discussions, workshops, and collaborations with activist groups. One highlight is the panel Antifaschismus als konkrete Utopie (‘Anti-fascism as a concrete utopia’), featuring journalist and action artist Jean Peters.. The blurb advertising the session claims Germany faces “a decisive moment” 80 years after World War II, accusing the “self-styled bourgeoisie” of normalising nationalism and noting that “the largest opposition party in the Bundestag is classified as confirmed far right.”
Other events include workshops on “racist police violence” with the Kampagne für Opfer rassistischer Polizeigewalt (KOP) Berlin. This group has accused authorities of “institutional racist violence” and criticised police handling of pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Partner organisations also include Berlin Postkolonial and Decolonize Berlin e. V., both of which campaign for renaming streets considered to carry a “colonial-racist” legacy.
Wider pattern and reactions
This initiative is part of a broader pattern. In recent years, publicly funded foundations, universities, and cultural bodies in Germany have hosted projects explicitly targeting the so-called far right. Local authorities have barred AfD events from municipal venues, and the Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution) has placed several party branches under observation.
The Ministry of Culture says the Haus der Kulturen der Welt “programmes with full artistic independence” and that its funding structure does not determine programme content. Festival organisers aim to “promote dialogue and civic participation in the face of current democratic challenges.”
The AfD argues the opposite. A parliamentary spokesperson told reporters that the event proves “the state is funding campaigns to exclude a legitimate political option voted for by millions of citizens.” Political analysts warn that such moves risk reinforcing the party’s anti-establishment image and boosting its appeal among voters disenchanted with the system.
The festival will open in September, the final stretch before regional elections in Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia—three states where the AfD is polling first. Its political impact, beyond the cultural arena, will be closely watched.
