Princeton professor proposes 'East CSU' to counter AfD rise

Kim Lane Scheppele, a sociology professor at Princeton University specializing in European right-wing populism, has proposed a political strategy to address the rise of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in eastern Germany.

Speaking to the Süddeutsche Zeitung, Scheppele suggested that Germany requires systemic parties that demonstrate genuine respect for East Germans. She proposed the creation of an 'East CSU'—referencing the Christian Social Union that has governed Bavaria since 1957—to serve as a regional political force that addresses the specific concerns of the eastern states.

This comes as the AfD has become a dominant political force in eastern Germany, recently emerging as the strongest party in state elections in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. While critics note that the Die Linke party previously positioned itself as an eastern party, Scheppele argues for a model more akin to the successful regional identity established by the CSU in the west.