“Not with us!” – numerous celebrities, from pop star Helene Fischer to VW boss Oliver Blume, raise their voices against the enemies of our democracy in the current stern.
A signal that – like the demonstrations of hundreds of thousands in recent weeks – has triggered a broad debate about how to deal with the AfD and other right-wing extremists. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier commented on the current cover story on Thursday as part of the “Bellevue Forum on the Transformation of Society” discussion series.
“A whole series of celebrities and cultural figures spoke in the stern – including those who had not been seen at political actions in the past and therefore could not easily be expected,” said Steinmeier in his official residence in Berlin. And he warned: “Something has now started (…), this process, which has become visible, needs to be consolidated.”
According to the Federal President, the “Correctiv” research into a meeting of right-wing extremists with the participation of AfD politicians about the mass expulsion of people from Germany was a “trigger point”. The reporting gave broad sections of the population an idea “that this is not about comfortable changes within democracy, but that there are people and movements that have worrying ideas beyond democracy. This has led to a wake-up call from society to itself .” Steinmeier viewed the current stern title as part of this wake-up call.
You can read more reactions to the star title here. You can order the stern here or read it as an e-paper; the voices of celebrities are also available at stern PLUS.
