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Berlinale: Germany’s far-right AfD uninvited from film festival opening

The revelation that AfD politicians had been invited to Berlinale’s opening sparked international criticism. Now the film festival leadership has disinvited the party representatives.

Published: 9 February 2024 10:36 CET
Updated: 9 February 2024 14:04 CET

Berlinale Artistic Director Carlo Chatrian and Executive Director Mariette Rissenbeek ahead of the 74th International Berlinale film festival. Photo: MICHELE TANTUSSI / AFP

According to Berlinale, five politicians from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party are no longer invited to the event’s opening gala on February 15th.

Defending its position, Berlinale put out a statement saying the AfD and many of its members have views that deeply contradict the basic values of democracy.

“We have therefore disinvited all previously invited AfD politicians in writing today and informed them that they are not welcome at the Berlinale,” said the management duo Mariette Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian in a statement.

Speaking to journalists on Friday, AfD parliamentary group leader Kristin Brinker slammed the decision as a “cultural-political warning”.

“With its decision, the Berlinale is bowing to the public pressure built up by cultural-political activists over the past few days,” she said, adding that the decision was not just an exclusion of AfD politicians but also an exclusion of their supporters.

“They are excluding people who are at odds with the prevailing conditions and are turning to us, the AfD, in the hope of revitalising democracy,” Brinker said.

The inclusion of AfD members was less controversial in previous years, but this year’s Berlinale comes after massive protests against the AfD and right-wing extremism swept Germany.

An estimated 150,000 protestors rallied against the AfD in Berlin on February 3rd as part of series of demonstrations that were sparked by a “Correctiv” investigation which exposed a plan discussed by AfD members to deport immigrants from Germany.

Why were alt-right leaders invited to the international film festival?

Normally Berlinale delivers a quota of invitations to both the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media and the Berlin Senate, which are then distributed to democratically elected members of all parties in the Bundestag and Bundesrat.

It was through this process that AfD members received their invites.

Berlinale has emphasised that the discussion on how to deal with AfD politicians affects many German organisations and festivals.

“This debate must be conducted by society as a whole and together with all democratic parties,” said a statement by Berlinale.

According to Minister of State for Culture, Claudia Roth, this debate could also happen at a Berlinale opening.

A representative for Roth told DPA: “It is up to the Berlinale management to make the final decision on who they invite to the opening and who they don’t, and we respect this decision.”

But she added: “It is understandable that filmmakers from Germany, Europe and the world are campaigning for racists and enemies of democracy to have no place at the Berlinale.”

AfD Parliamentary group leader, Kristin Brinker, will comment on the disinvitation in the Bundesrat on Friday.

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Output is expected to expand 0.3 percent this year, the economy ministry said, up from a prediction of 0.2 percent in February.

The slightly rosier picture comes after improvements in key indicators — from factory output to business activity — boosted hopes a recovery may be getting under way.

The German economy shrank slightly last year, hit by soaring inflation, a manufacturing slowdown and weakness in trading partners, and has acted as a major drag on the 20-nation eurozone.

But releasing its latest projections, the economy ministry said in a statement there were growing indications of a “turning point”.

“Signs of an economic upturn have increased significantly, especially in recent weeks,” Economy Minister Robert Habeck said at a press conference.

The ministry also cut its forecast for inflation this year to 2.4 percent, from a previous prediction of 2.8 percent, and sees the figure falling below two percent next year.

“The fall in inflation will lead to consumer demand — people have more money in their wallets again, and will spend this money,” said Habeck.

“So purchasing power is increasing, real wages are rising and this will contribute to a domestic economic recovery.”

Energy prices — which surged after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine — had also fallen and supply chain woes had eased, he added.

Several months ago there had been expectations of a strong rebound in 2024, with forecasts of growth above one percent, but these were dialled back at the start of the year as the economy continued to languish.

‘Germany has fallen behind’

But improving signs have fuelled hopes the lumbering economy — while not about to break into a sprint — may at least be getting back on its feet.

On Wednesday a closely-watched survey from the Ifo institute showed business sentiment rising for a third consecutive month in April, and more strongly than expected.

A key purchasing managers’ index survey this week showed that business activity in Germany had picked up.

And last week the central bank, the Bundesbank, forecast the economy would expand slightly in the first quarter, dodging a recession, after earlier predicting a contraction.

German Economics Minister Robert Habeck

Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) presents the latest economic forecasts at a press conference in Berlin on Wednesday, April 24th. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Michael Kappeler

Despite the economy’s improving prospects, growth of 0.3 percent is still slower than other developed economies and below past rates, and officials fret it is unlikely to pick up fast in the years ahead.

Habeck has repeatedly stressed solutions are needed for deep-rooted problems facing Germany, from an ageing population to labour shortages and a transition towards greener industries that is moving too slowly.

“Germany has fallen behind other countries in terms of competitiveness,” he said. “We still have a lot to do — we have to roll up our sleeves.”

Already facing turbulence from pandemic-related supply chain woes, the German economy’s problems deepened dramatically when Russia invaded Ukraine and slashed supplies of gas, hitting the country’s crucial manufacturers hard.

While the energy shock has faded, continued weakness in trading partners such as China, widespread strikes in recent months and higher eurozone interest rates have all prolonged the pain.

The European Central Bank has signalled it could start cutting borrowing costs in June, which would boost the eurozone.

But Habeck stressed that care was still needed as, despite the expectations of imminent easing, “tight monetary policy has not yet been lifted.”

In addition, disagreements in Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party ruling coalition are hindering efforts to reignite growth, critics say.

This week the pro-business FDP party, a coalition partner, faced an angry backlash from Scholz’s SPD when it presented a 12-point plan for an “economic turnaround”, including deep cuts to state benefits.

Christian Lindner, the fiscally hawkish FDP finance minister, welcomed signs of “stabilisation” in the economic forecasts but stressed that projected medium-term growth was “too low to sustainably finance our state”.

“There are no arguments for postponing the economic turnaround,” he added.