Brandenburg: Black politician takes on German far-right AfD

Among the giant election posters hanging in the streets of Cottbus, a city in eastern Germany often in the headlines for right-wing extremism and racist attacks, are many featuring a smiling Black woman and the text "Miteinander," a German word meaning "together" or "with one another."

Cameroonian-born politician Adeline Abimnwi Awemo, of the Christian Democrat Union (CDU), is the only Black or candidate of color in the Lusatia region for Brandenburg's state parliament in a much-anticipated election on September 22.

Eastern German voters have increasingly been turning to populist parties in recent years, and it hasn't been an easy time for established parties like Awemo's center-right CDU, which is in a state-level coalition led by the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) together with the Green Party. A recent poll for Brandenburg shows her party trailing in third place at 18% — behind the Social Democrats at 23%. But more than a quarter of Brandenburg voters intend to vote for the far right Alternative for Germany (AfD), according to Infratest dimap pollsters.

"I'm worried, but I'm not afraid," she tells DW. "There's a difference with worry. When you're worried, you can find solutions."

That is what her slogan, "Miteinander," is all about, Awemo explains.

"You just have to start a conversation, and maybe you have the chance to convince someone that you have a good idea and can represent this person."

Moving on from racial abuse

But not everyone is open to talking. In July, a woman is said to have racially abused Awemo while the candidate was out hanging election posters. The woman then allegedly physically attacked Awemo when she tried to start a conversation, and the CDU politician was taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries.

"It was shocking that something like that happened because I have never experienced that kind of racism in my 22 years here in Cottbus," she says.

Awemo's voice and tone shift when she speaks of the incident. She sounds tired, and she doesn't want to talk about it. 

"This attack that happened to me, it could happen to anyone," she says. "But one should not overlook the positive side of the city of Cottbus."

The incident, which catapulted the candidate's name into the national media spotlight, is not uncommon in Cottbus, which has a reputation for being a right-wing hot spot. Still, it has changed the CDU candidate's life. She has had to inform the police about every campaign event and sometimes receives extra protection. But the Cameroonian expat still speaks warmly of her adopted hometown.

Finding a community in Cottbus

Awemo was born in Kumba, a city in the English-speaking region of Cameroon. She moved to Cottbus in 2002 to study at the Brandenburg University of Technology.

At the time, she felt foreign in the city. Thinking back, she remembers attending Mass at a Catholic church without understanding a word of German and "just smiling." 

"There were so many in the church who approached me with ideas and tried to share them with me," she says. "I never took a German course. The German I speak today I learned from Cottbusers." 

The politician who now sees herself as a Cottbuser got help at every stage of her life here, including when she started her family and career. This is why Awemo wants to give back to the city. She believes her experience as an immigrant can bring a lot to the table, especially with migration as a significant topic in Germany.

Awemo says she is in favor of targeted migration. "If we're looking for professionals and the people who come here, for instance, handymen, carpenters, doctors or nurses, we need to ensure they can work as soon as possible.

"These people need to be targeted when it comes to learning German," adds Awemo, who has been a member of Cottbus' Advisory Board for Integration and Migration since 2018.

AfD 'a kick in the rear' for established parties 

The ongoing public debate over migration is credited with helping the recent surge of the far-right AfD and driving the popularity of the populist left-leaning Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), also known for its anti-immigration rhetoric.

Both parties, the AfD in particular, saw significant gains in recent state elections in eastern Germany. The AfD earned the most support in Thuringia and finished second in Saxony, while the BSW finished third in both states.

In Cottbus, where Awemo is running against incumbent AfD politician Lars Schieske, people believe Germany's spending on refugee assistance and helping Ukraine to defend itself against Russia should instead be focused on people here and their communities.

"Germany is only helping foreigners. And here in Germany, nothing is happening," says Alex, a man in his 20s.

"The popularity of the AfD is a kick in the rear for the established parties. I don't agree with the politics of the [ruling coalition] and the established parties," one retiree says, referring to Germany's federal coalition government of the Social Democrats, the Greens and the neoliberal Free Democratic Party (FDP).

Awemo shows some understanding for the frustration that voters here appear to have. When DW spoke with her, she was campaigning in front of a Lidl supermarket in an area called Sachsendorf, a socially disadvantaged neighborhood that's part of the large district where Awemo is running.

She's just a stone's throw away from a couple of concrete apartment tower blocks, once home to doctors, engineers and other workers during communist East Germany (GDR) times. Today, they house people on social welfare, retirees and refugees. Those who could leave here have already done so.

"There were many expectations that have not yet been fulfilled," Awemo explains. "And in this region, there is also the history of the coal phaseout and the uncertainties about what will happen."

Staying on message

Cottbus, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) south of Berlin, is the biggest city in Lusatia, a region that was once East Germany's most important coal and energy supplier. Today, it's one of the poorest regions in Germany and receives hundreds of millions to support its exit from fossil fuels.

In June, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was in the region for the founding of Lusatia Medical University, which will be Brandenburg's biggest university hospital. That was his second visit to Cottbus this year — in January, he took part in the inauguration of a new rail factory, while farmers staged an anti-government protest outside.

Awemo focuses on these new opportunities in her campaign message when she speaks of making Cottbus more attractive for both locals and newcomers.

"There's going to be a big job market that will allow people to work, so that they can live and get on with each other," she explains.

But on this unusually hot and humid September afternoon, Awemo hasn't managed to start too many conversations with potential voters in front of Lidl. She'll have her work cut out for her until voters head to the polls on September 22.

Edited by: Davis VanOpdorp