Soziale Ungleichheit, Exklusion und der Aufstieg der Rechten

The article examines the links between social inequality and the rise of the political right in Germany and other countries. It is argued that growing inequalities and the dynamics of social exclusion on the labour market, in employment, in the welfare state and in the distribution of incomes and wealth, undermine social cohesion. The political right responds to it with nationalism and xenophobia. It thereby exploits a crisis of politics, evident in decades of subordination of political action to the supposed imperatives of the markets. The right presents the politics of an aggressive distinction between “us” and “them”, declaring “them” to be enemies. It distracts from the causes of growing social inequalities but nevertheless attracts followers, particularly from the working class. The article stresses the need for building a politically left counter-movement able to regain the capacity for political action. Such an opposition would have to address the dominance of markets and capital as the roots of growing inequality and exclusion. Finally, the article lists some discussion points which could lead in this direction.