‘In general, rural areas are not being left behind’

Since the Brexit referendum and the election of Donald Trump as US president in 2016, a debate that originated in the UK and the US about the political consequences of unequal living conditions in metropolitan and rural areas has also been unfolding in Germany. The reason: the electoral success of the AfD. From an academic point of view, however, the debate cannot be directly transferred to Germany. Germany has a more decentralised structure, there are many small and medium-sized centres and many public services are easily accessible, at least by car.

Andreas Klärner also believes that the theory of the AfD's electoral success, especially in rural areas, is too generalised. There is no clear correlation between the degree of rurality and the AfD's share of the vote. The Thünen scientist argues that Germany is in a relatively good position when it comes to creating equal living conditions. However, he points out that many local authorities are so financially strapped that they can do little more than fulfil their statutory obligations. He therefore advocates better funding for local authorities.

You can read the entire interview here. (in Geman)