The results of the Sept. 1 elections in Thuringia and Saxony indicate the re-emergence of a peace movement in Germany, even if not definitive nor widespread. The points in common across winning parties in eastern Germany yesterday were: No, to continued weapons to Ukraine; and Yes, to restoring diplomacy to resolve the crisis.
Helga Zepp-LaRouche, leader of the Schiller Institute, said today, “The election results in two of the eastern German states are a whopping demonstration that the war party can be caused to suffer a setback, and it should be an encouraging sign for everybody who wants to oppose the direct road to World War III, on which we are very far gone already. I think that that is, for sure, the most important event over the weekend, and also, I should say, it is the re-emergence of the peace movement in Germany, which I think is also quite hopeful.”
In reporting details on yesterday’s German elections, Zepp-LaRouche also described how shook up the controlled Trans-Atlantic media were as the ballot results came in last night, even if they were expected. A Sunday evening television newscaster was “visibly shaken” when reporting the vote. Within hours, the Trans-Atlantic narrative machine was cranking out “stories” to cover up the truth about the anti-war vote. The New York Times condensed the election results down to the charge that this is the first time in 80 years, right-wing extremists won elections. The Second TV channel in Germany directly likened the vote to World War II.
In brief: In the two East German states of Saxony and Thuringia, the parties with the highest gains in votes in the election for state parliament, were the Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW)—a party only established in February. In Thuringia, two of the national three-party coalition—the warhawk Greens and the “liberal” Free Democrats, were dumped out of the state parliament altogether with too few votes. In Saxony, likewise, the Free Democrats were dumped, and the Greens only remain in the state parliament by the squeakiest of margins.
These and other factors of the situation in Germany add up to increased “instability and non-governability” in Germany, given the shameful servility of the current coalition government to the United States and NATO, Helga Zepp-LaRouche, Schiller Institute leader, pointed out today. In France there is likewise chaos and a non-mandated government.
But the strengthening of depth of understanding and work for a new security architecture, and the link-up among forces favorable to ending the war paradigm, can make all the difference in the world.
In Israel this weekend, hundreds of thousands of Israelis were in the streets protesting the deadly implacability of the Netanyahu regime. Following yesterday’s demonstrations, the largest yet since Oct. 7, 2023, the Histadrut—the oldest, largest trade union formation in Israel, organized widespread support for a general strike for today in what was to be a day-long action. It was shut down early, on orders of a high court on the legalistic argument that the strike was “political.” But Histadrut leader Arnon Bar-David, leader of the 750,000 member labor association, said, though they respected the court order this time, “the solidarity strike was an important move and I stand behind it.” It was not a single “political” camp or faction, but, “Hundreds of thousands of citizens voted with their feet. We proved that with regard to the fate of the hostages there is no right nor left, only life or death.”
In the U.S., now that universities have resumed the school year, students are again demonstrating against genocide in Gaza. In the last week, actions occurred at the University of Michigan, Cornell, and in Southern California.
Yesterday demonstrations took place across Germany for Sept. 1 “Anti-War Day,” marking the date in 1939 when Hitler invaded Poland. Most anti-war actions were a few hundred people, with a few thousands in some cities, including Berlin and Munich.
A special cross-link action between the U.S. and Europe is shown by the video-message to the German people, played at the Munich rally, from Scott Ritter, former U.S. Marine and UN weapons inspector. It was very well received among the crowd of some 3,500. Saying, “Look back to your history,” Ritter reported in detail on the huge demonstrations in Germany in the 1980s against placement of U.S. missiles in Germany, and what led to the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. He ended by addressing today’s extreme danger of allowing U.S. missiles in Germany in 2026. He received spontaneous applause. “Do not allow these missiles on German soil! Do the right thing. Take to the streets! It worked then. It will work today!”
Ritter is organizing for a demonstration on Sept. 28, centered in Kingston, New York, and other towns. He is committed to making the U.S. election “issue,” stopping the danger of nuclear war. Other sponsors have set national rallies for Sept. 28 and 29 in Washington, D.C. On Oct. 3, some 1,500 groups and individuals are sponsoring demonstrations in Germany, commemorating its reunification in 1990.
Both the necessity and the opportunity to change the course of world affairs is to be seen in multinational events all taking place this week. On the side of economic security and development, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) meets in Beijing, Sept. 4-6; and the Eastern Economic Forum meets in Vladivostok, Sept. 4-6.
On the side of the Western war paradigm, on Sept. 6, the Ukraine Defense Contract Group meets in Ramstein, Germany, hosted by U.S. Defense Secretary Gen. Lloyd Austin, to pow-wow on how to make more weapons, kill more Ukrainians and attack Russia. We are at the danger point of provoking nuclear war.
It must be stopped. The platform is at hand in the International Peace Coalition, with its weekly world conference sessions, for the breakout into the force needed to draw back from the threat of nuclear extinction, into a future of beautiful growth.
