Rising tensions as Germany grapples with Magdeburg attack's impact
German commentators warn against using the Magdeburg attack in the election campaign. They point to the unusual profile of the attacker, known as an anti-Islamist.
On Friday evening, a car driven by a Saudi national, Taleb Abdul Jawad, who has lived in Germany since 2006, sped into a crowd at a Christmas market in Magdeburg, eastern Germany. The attack killed five people and injured around 200. Have the Germans lost control over immigration? - the media ask.
"Der Spiegel" calls for restraint. "The shocking act in Magdeburg will change the election campaign. The far-right is already trying to exploit the situation. Democratic centre parties should exercise restraint," writes Maria Fiedler in the online edition of "Der Spiegel." The commentator emphasizes that security and migration issues will be on the agenda.
Politicians from AfD and the far-right have no inhibitions when commenting on the events. An AfD member from Brandenburg wrote that "the problem is the immigration of millions of people, and the solution is their re-emigration." Re-emigration is a "racist electoral promise" of the AfD, as read in "Spiegel." The far-right fuels fear of people with immigrant roots.
"Extremists are trying to capitalise on this situation. Their commodity is fear," it reads. It is important for democratic centre parties to remain calm and not fuel populist sentiments.
Has the state lost control?
"Berliner Zeitung" claims that the state has lost control over immigration. "The perpetrator doesn't fit any scheme. For some, he is an Arab terrorist, for others, a right-wing extremist. But does it matter? It is clear that we have lost control of the situation," Moritz Eichhorn writes. Terrorist attacks cannot destroy a country, but powerlessness in dealing with them certainly can, the commentator believes.
"Handelsblatt" asks "what can democracy do against deadly mania?" "The Magdeburg attack was not carried out by an Islamist - it is a manifestation of another equally dangerous trend" writes Moritz Koch.
There is much to suggest that the perpetrator is mentally ill. Posts left online indicate that he wanted to take revenge on his new homeland because he was convinced that Germany wanted to Islamise Europe.
"The attack took place during the election campaign and will affect its course. The political centre will be under even more pressure," the author predicts. "The greater the uncertainty, the greater the chances for forces that use fear. The AfD enjoys 20% support. Much suggests that the upward trend will continue," it reads in the German business circles newspaper. Even an alert state cannot promise absolute protection, the commentator adds.
The conclusion from the Magdeburg event is that polarisation kills. Preventing polarisation is the task not only of the state but also of internet platforms. "Crazy conspiracy theories can quickly become bloody reality," warns "Handelsblatt" in its conclusion.
Have the Germans lost control over migration?
"Berliner Zeitung": the state has lost control over immigration. "The perpetrator doesn’t fit any scheme. For some, he is an Arab terrorist, for others, a right-wing extremist. But does it matter? It is clear that we have lost control of the situation" writes Moritz Eichhorn.
The attack in Magdeburg achieved all the goals of terrorism–intimidates residents, sows confusion, pits social groups against each other, and cannot be combated with one effective move. "Terrorist attacks cannot destroy any country, but powerlessness in dealing with them certainly can," the commentator believes. It is essential to detect the cause and effectively confront it. However, in the case of a contradictory perpetrator, this is not possible, allowing politicians to remain inactive.
