The Ideology of the Alternative for Germany

Cilj ovog rada je pronaći odgovor na pitanje uzroka koji su pridonijeli opstanku Alternative za Njemačku u političkom sustavu Njemačke. S obzirom na završetak izbjegličke krize koja je potresla cijelu Europu, ali istovremeno bila uzrokom rasta popularnosti AfD-a, bitno je pronaći faktore zbog kojih je AfD i dalje važan subjekt njemačke politike. Razmatrajući povijesne okolnosti, ideološke sastavnice te strukturu biračkog tijela stranke napravljena je detaljna analiza AfD-a. Analiza povijesnih okolnosti prikazala je povijest stranke kao povijest isprepletenu raznim krizama koje je AfD uspio nadvladati. Detaljno su analizirane krize koje su pogodile njemačko društvo, ali također krize unutar same stranke i AfD-ov odgovor na njih. Analiza stranačke ideologije, napravljena je kroz detaljnu analizu različitih političkih stavova koje zastupa AfD. Ti politički stavovi svedeni su pod tri različite sastavnice: populizam, iliberalizam i spoja ordoliberalizma i šovinizma blagostanja, koje su ilustrirale AfD-a kao radikalno desnu populističku stranku. Analiza biračkog tijela AfD-a prezentirala je ideološku transformaciju stranke kroz promjenu potražnje birača za određenim politikama. K tomu je stvorena slika AfD-ovih birača od njenog nastanka do parlamentarnih izbora 2017. godine. Ovakva kompleksna analiza AfD-a pokazala je kako su razlozi kontinuiranog uspjeha i sposobnost na prilagodbu u kriznim situacijama, povijesno iskustvo i zastupanje ideoloških stavova bliskih biračima za koje su nacionalna pitanja presudna.The aim of this paper is to find an answer to the question of the causes that contributed to the survival of the Alternative for Germany in the German political system. Given the end of the refugee crisis that shook the whole of Europe, but at the same time was the cause of the growing popularity of the AfD, it is important to find the factors that make the AfD still an important subject of German politics. Considering the historical circumstances, ideological components and the structure of the party's electorate, a detailed analysis of the AfD was made. The analysis of historical circumstances presented the history of the party as a history intertwined with various crises that the AfD managed to overcome. The crises that hit German society were analyzed in detail, but also the crises within the party itself and the AfD’s response to them. The analysis of party ideology was made through a detailed analysis of the various political views represented by the AfD. These political views were reduced to three different components: populism, illiberalism, and a combination of ordoliberalism and welfare chauvinism, which illustrated the AfD as a radically right-wing populist party. The analysis of the AfD electorate presented the ideological transformation of the party through a change in voter demand for certain policies. In addition, an image of AfD voters from its inception to the 2017 parliamentary elections was created. Such a complex analysis of the AfD has shown that the reasons for continued success and the ability to adapt to crisis situations are historical experience and advocacy of ideological views close to the voters for whom national issues are crucial