Jan Gorkow criticizes CDU and SPD amid rising AfD support

During an appearance on the ARD program ‘Hart aber Fair’, Jan ‘Monchi’ Gorkow, frontman of the punk rock band Feine Sahne Fischfilet, expressed shock at the high polling numbers for the AfD. Gorkow, who hails from Jarmen in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern—a town where the AfD received 54 percent of the vote in the last federal election—noted that the rapid rise of the party was unexpected.

Gorkow criticized established parties, specifically the CDU and SPD, for their internal conflicts and perceived inability to represent citizens. He stated that while he previously felt a punk-rocker’s hesitation toward mainstream politics, he now hopes leaders like Friedrich Merz and Lars Klingbeil do not fail in their roles.

While addressing the frustration in eastern Germany, the discussion also featured historian Hedwig Richter, who challenged the prevailing narrative of German decline. Richter argued that real wages have risen despite economic stagnation and noted that life satisfaction in Germany remains high, suggesting that the focus on constant crisis is not productive.