European elections before the start of the tournament
Right-wing doubts weigh on the home European Championship
By Sebastian Schneider, Herzogenaurach
10.06.2024, 20:25
A few days before the start of the European Football Championship in Germany, right-wing parties in particular are gaining ground in the European elections. The tournament is supposed to unite the continent, can it achieve this?
One Europe. One feeling. One football. It is just an advertising banner that stands in front of Niclas Füllkrug on the left of the press conference desk in the European Championship quarters. But after the European election evening on Sunday, it has a metaphorical meaning. In the election, a few days before the start of the tournament, right-wing extremist and right-wing populist parties in particular gained ground across Europe: In Austria, the FPÖ became the strongest force, in France the Le Pen party. And in Germany, almost 16 percent voted for the AfD.
When asked about it, Füllkrug says he finds it difficult to express his political opinion. “Basically, I want to let everyone have their own opinion.” He thinks that influencing people is a bad thing when it comes to these issues. And yet he takes a stand: “Basically, it is important to me that we at least set an example in football of what we think is right or what we want to set an example of.” That is, community.
Football has a big task ahead of it this summer. The European Championship is to be a celebration of democracy. “United by football, united in the heart of Europe” is the motto. The four weeks from 14 June to 14 July are to unite the continent, which has had difficult years behind it. The starting point is difficult: Normally, the EU always emerges stronger from crises. After the Corona pandemic and the Russian attack on Ukraine, this ability seems to have been lost. The winners in the elections are mainly those who want less Europe.
The new summer fairytale
It is questionable whether football can solve these problems on its own. The fact that this tournament is so politically charged is not something that comes from outside. It was not politicians who dictated this. The tournament developed its great ambitions from within itself. EM director Philipp Lahm reminded us of this time and again – most recently in the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung”The tournament should “strengthen us. Us, who are for democracy, for a free life, for the rule of law”.
The European elections have shown that this requires a lot of work. In the host country, almost one in eight people voted for a party that does not stand for these values. A party that, according to the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, is definitely right-wing extremist in parts. A party that had to distance itself from both of the EU’s top candidates because they may have connections to Russia.
This statement also raises other questions: Is it okay to run around with the German flag? Or should one consciously display the symbol and not leave it to the far-right? A study warned after the 2006 World Cup at home that party patriotism can also have serious consequences. The country’s problems can be spun even further: the racist video from Sylt, which was not an isolated case, the knife attack in Mannheim, debates about deportations to Afghanistan.
That doesn’t really fit in with the summer that is supposed to be as magical as 2006 is always described. Back then, during the World Cup, the situation before the tournament started was not easy either. The country had just overcome mass unemployment, and debates were about a dominant culture. But after that, there was no more talk of that.
The debate about the survey
Despite all the problems, perhaps it is coming at the right time. “Major events where millions of people come together have always developed great power,” is the hope of tournament director Lahm. Nevertheless, he himself knows that sport alone cannot handle these things. “Football is not a savior, but it can be a piece of the puzzle to strengthen the things that are important to us,” he admitted in the “FAZ”.
Up until now, the political problems have also fallen on those who simply want to play football – the DFB team. Füllkrug must now take a stand on the European elections. A week ago, it was the ARD survey that revealed racism, according to which 21 percent of Germans wanted a “whiter” national team. At the time, national coach Julian Nagelsmann and Joshua Kimmich made clear statements and triggered a major debate of their own.
In the end, all that remains is the great opportunity that such a tournament brings with it – politically and in sport. Which direction it can take will become clear this afternoon in Herzogenaurach. In mid-March, the DFB presented the jerseys for the home European Championship. There was great outrage, especially from the right wing, over the away jersey – it was pink. And now, just a few days before the start of the tournament, the dress is omnipresent at public training sessions, and at times it was even sold out.