Panel on Freie Sachsen after the municipal elections

Panel on Freie Sachsen after the municipal elections

 +++Panel discussion and election analysis+++

Local elections were held in Saxony on June 9. In addition to the AfD, another far right party, Freie Sachsen, is standing as a candidate and calling for an “assault on Saxony's town halls”. But who are these Freie Sachsen anyway and will this proclaimed “storm” materialize or will it remain a gentle breeze? We want to discuss these and many other questions with you at our panel discussion on June 19, 2024 at 7 p.m. in Hole of Fame (Königsbrücker Straße 39, 01099 Dresden).

In addition to the municipal elections, the reason for this is the publication of the anthology “Sächsische Realitäten: Analyses of Current Protest Phenomena of the Radical Right in Saxony". The anthology, edited by Michael Krell and Tom Böhme, was published by Thelem on May 8, 2024. It contains 12 contributions by students and young academics dealing with the radical right-wing protest scene in Saxony since the coronavirus pandemic and its reorganization. Particular emphasis is placed on the emergence of Saxony as a hotspot for demonstrations and the emergence of the radical right-wing micro-party Freie Sachsen, which played a key role in shaping the protests against the coronavirus measures. Various social science disciplines shed light on different aspects of this scene, from fundamental analyses and local case studies to contextual factors for the success of the protests. The anthology thus offers important explanations for the particular dynamics of the Saxon protest movements and provides new insights for the theoretical and empirical analysis of radical right-wing actors in Saxony.

At the event, the editor and authors will discuss the phenomenon Freie Sachsen, the election results and the resulting consequences. The audience is also cordially invited to take part in the discussion in order to facilitate a civil society exchange on the topic.

The anthology is available online as an open access version.

It can also be purchased in print from Thelem-Verlag and in bookshops.