An interview with historian Dr. Andreas Etges, LMU Munich*
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) classifies the AfD as “a confirmed right-wing extremist endeavor due to the extremist character of the entire party, which disregards human dignity.” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s reaction to this (see above) suggests that Elon Musk’s joint Zoom appearance with Alice Weidel was no slip-up. Is the American government now officially supporting anti-democratic forces in Germany?
During the first Trump administration, individual advisors like Steve Bannon, who also sought international networking on the right, expressed sympathy for right-wing and anti-democratic forces in Europe. Now, such positions seem to reflect a basic consensus within the Trump administration. Rubio’s statement is factually incorrect and demonstrates a lack of historical knowledge. He is definitely crossing a line.
Rubio criticizes Germany’s supposed open-border policy and calls for a reversal. The Democrats in the U.S. are accused of pursuing the same policy. What strategy is behind it?
On the one hand, this reveals a fundamentally different understanding of politics and an attempt to impose one’s own position by almost any means, not always democratic ones. In addition, there is a fundamental reinterpretation of concepts. The term “alternative facts” was coined during Trump’s first term in office; now, the newspeak described by George Orwell in his novel “1984” is everywhere. A presidential decree is seriously titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History” and accuses the Smithsonian Institution in particular of falsifying history because it fails to present U.S. history in national history museums in an uncritical and patriotic manner. Facts are fake news, poor polls are allegedly manipulated, scientists are fired and their research results suppressed under the claim of fighting censorship, universities are blackmailed, and accordingly, the classification of a right-wing extremist party in Germany is tantamount to tyranny.
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), described by Rubio as a “spy agency,” is an independent, non-directive investigative agency that investigates subversive activities. As a former U.S.-Senator and democratically elected representative, Rubio should understand this. Is there a similar agency in the United States that puts a stop to anti-constitutional attacks?
There is no agency in the U.S. comparable to the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Justice also assume some of its responsibilities. The Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Alabama, which is funded entirely by donations, is arguably the most important NGO in the fight against hate groups. Its work and definition of hate groups and extremists are controversial but highly influential.
If there were an organization comparable to the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution in the U.S., it would actually have to investigate the Republican Party and, in my opinion, reach a similar conclusion to the BfV’s for the AfD.
German democracy owes much to the United States. For example, the German media was rebuilt after World War II based on American and British models. Occupiers became friends and allies. How should the new German government deal with the increasing criticism of the American administration?
The new federal government should not deny its own values and should take a clear and unequivocal stand against unjustified criticism and problematic statements like Rubio’s. But it shouldn’t do so from a moral high ground—after all, we have numerous problems of our own. The best response might be if we succeeded in successfully combating the loss of trust in democratic institutions and in the policies of the established parties through good policymaking and stabilizing our system.
We are seeing a severe loss of trust in the United States among the German population. According to a survey from March 2025, only 16 percent consider the United States a reliable, trustworthy partner. What does this mean for German-American relations? Is the damage irreparable?
The German view of the USA depends very much on who is president and what one thinks of that person. George W. Bush was very unpopular, and with it the USA’s reputation declined. With Obama, that changed overnight. A similar ups and downs, or rather ups and downs, occurred with the transition to Trump and then Biden. But this time, fundamental trust in the USA will certainly be damaged to some extent, and even a Democratic Party president who is popular abroad would have a hard time rebuilding trust.
How can we stand by democratic America in the current constitutional crisis without being seen as interference (see Rubio)?
I recently asked a similar question to a group of Americans from NGOs, museums, academia, and diplomacy. The answers were: donate to U.S. organizations whose work you value. Even $5 or $10 helps. Let Americans know in person—friends, colleagues, tourists—what you think of their current administration and how much the reputation of the U.S. abroad is declining. And share your opinion publicly and let us know that you stand with us. But of course, all of this would still be considered interference by the Trump administration.
Thank you very much for your time and sharing your insights, Andreas!
________
Notes
*Dr. Andreas Etges is a senior research associate at the Amerika-Institut at LMU Munich. His research focuses on American foreign policy and presidents. He regularly teaches seminars on film and film history and is chairman of the Cold War Center.
https://www.amerikanistik.uni-muenchen.de/personen/mitarbeiter/etges/index.html
https://presse.wdr.de/plounge/tv/das_erste/2025/03/20250306_ard_deutschlandtrend_usa.html:
“Only one in six Germans (16 percent) considers the USA a partner they can trust (-38 compared to October 2024). Three-quarters (75 percent) believe that Germany cannot trust the USA. This was the result of a representative survey by infratest dimap among 1,325 eligible voters for the ARD DeutschlandTREND from Tuesday to Wednesday of this week.”
