Lichtgedanken 05

Rubrik 45 05 | LICHT GEDANKEN »This is further compounded by the fact that the AfD has attempted to charge the social question with populist ideas, for example, with the national social wing led by Björn Höcke.« The ongoing wage inequality and change to the population structure in the eastern parts of Germa- ny has even intensified the right-wing tendencies. Distinctions and open debate are necessary The unions themselves have still been looking for a strategy to tackle this pro- blem. However, a significant majority of their members remain steadfastly against right-wing populist orientati- ons. Despite this, the unions are faced with a dilemma: »On the one hand, they people involved«, explains the Jena-ba- sed sociologist. »When compared with our previous study, we must also realize that supporters of right-wing populist views consider themselves to be true democrats.« While the democratic parliamentaria- nism was still met with reservations during the previous study, they are now arguing for more direct democra- cy. However, they define the concept »people« based on ethnicity, not on belonging to a state. »The radicalism which has seen the social question—in other words, the conflict between tho- se at the bottom and those at the top of society—becoming a conflict between those inside and those outside, i.e. bet- ween so-called »Biodeutschen« (»the native Germans«) and »the migrants«, has reached a new level«, says Dörre. fear losing members if they clearly dis- tance themselves from the right-wing populist opinions«, explains Dörre. »On the other hand, if they do not make a clear distinction between these positi- ons, the right-wing members will ex- ploit the political neutrality of the trade unions, which will in turn create pressu- re from the left.« Dörre is convinced that workers’ repre- sentatives need to seek to encourage open debate whilst also making it clear that populist opinion is an »explosive charge« for trade union solidarity. So- lidarity can only function by bridging genders, ethnicities, and nations. »The trade unions must ensure that their members are able to argue effectively against right-wing populist opinions, to dissect them, and to expose the demago- gy behind them.«  On the photo on the left, there is a poster from the demonstration against a rally by the xenophobic Pegida offshoot Thugida in Jena. As the sociologists observed, right-wing populist parties and groups have had an above-average number of supporters among workers. On the right photo, the sociologist of work Prof. Dr Klaus Dörre who led the recent study. Contact Prof. Dr Klaus Dörre Institute of Sociology Carl-Zeiß-Straße 3, D-07743 Jena, Germany Phone: +49 36 41 9-45 521 Email: klaus.doerre@uni-jena.de www.soziologie.uni-jena.de Original publication: Arbeiterbewegung von rechts? Motive und Grenzen einer imaginären Revolte, Berliner Journal für Soziologie (2018), DOI: 10.1007/ s11609-018-0352-z