Archbishop Bentz warns against AfD populism ahead of elections

Archbishop Udo Markus Bentz of Paderborn has issued a warning to voters ahead of state elections in Saxony-Anhalt, Berlin, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. He urged citizens to address real societal issues rather than “perceived truths” promoted by right-wing populists.

Bentz specifically addressed the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, stating that while the party focuses heavily on migration, it fails to offer solutions for the actual challenges facing Saxony-Anhalt. He identified these core problems as an aging population, economic difficulties, medical supply shortages, and educational deficits, noting that ten percent of school leavers lack a basic secondary school certificate.

Critiquing the AfD’s campaign materials as lacking substance, the Archbishop questioned the positive impact of populism, citing Brexit in the United Kingdom, political shifts in Poland and Hungary, and the presidency of Donald Trump in the United States as examples where populism did not improve the world. He emphasized the Church's role in upholding values such as freedom and democracy.