Right-wing forces in Saxony: “The entrepreneur is more in demand than ever”

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Saxon state capital Dresden:

Many entrepreneurs prefer not to talk about the political situation and the rise of right-wing extremist forces - a mistake, says

Sylvia Pfefferkorn

in an interview with manager magazin.

Photo: Westend61 / Getty Images

The AfD is gaining popularity, not just in East Germany - and companies understand the danger that right-wing forces pose to the economy. How can companies best deal with the heated political atmosphere? In response, the “Economy for a cosmopolitan Saxony” association was founded in Dresden in 2016 – for cosmopolitanism and against exclusion and racism. Today it includes more than 110 companies, including the major players in the Saxon economy from VW to GlaxoSmithKline, from Deutsche Bank to Infineon, with numerous medium-sized companies representing a cross-section of the Saxon economy.

The upcoming state elections in September in the federal states of Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg, the high poll numbers of the far-right AfD party and the revelations by the research platform Correctiv about a secret meeting of Nazi figures and AfD members have shaken up many people. Since then, hundreds of thousands have taken to the streets against right-wing extremism.

The disputes do not stop at the company gates. How do you as a manager react to conflicts between AfD supporters and opponents in the workforce? How can companies get practical help when extreme opinions poison everyday working life? This is explained by

Sylvia Pfefferkorn

(59), deputy board spokeswoman and head of the office of the “Economy for a cosmopolitan Saxony” association.

manager magazin: Ms. Pfefferkorn, the topic of right-wing extremism has been discussed much more intensively in this country since the beginning of the year. How has this changed companies?

Sylvia Pfefferkorn:

It seems to me that many people are now waking up and saying: Man, we actually have to defend our values ​​and our democracy. This is also because the dangers are greater and can hardly be overlooked. Here in Saxony, for example, the AfD is specifically trying to infiltrate works councils and get elected there. We see that they are very active at many events. When the Chamber of Industry and Commerce invites you to the New Year's reception, the AfDers come out in full force to show off and bring their simple solutions to the people.

Since November we have seen greater demand for both our educational formats and membership with us. Many companies also see a need for democratic education in view of the elections.

What is it about?

About team building, about collaborative partnerships, about anti-racism training. We don't necessarily call this democratic education when we go into companies, but rather change management. Then it's about what reservations actually are, that reservations are normal and each of us has them.

Can you give an example?

Yes, our “Blue Eyed – Brown Eyed” workshop, a role play: Two groups are formed according to eye color, one group is strongly favored and the other group is burdened with prejudices; corresponding posters are shown. Both groups leave this event and have noticed how quickly people give in to slogans and how quickly they actually condemn people.

But there are also very specific requests from companies to explain democratic decision-making and democratic processes in more detail. We are asked to come by and explain what exactly is being voted for in the district elections and what areas of responsibility are involved in the European elections.

This type of political education would not have been defined as a task for companies just a few months ago. Did she play such an important role in the club's work right from the start?

No, and I didn't think it would be so important.

What was the impetus for founding the club?

Do you remember these terrible pictures from Saxony? There were racist riots in front of a refugee accommodation in Heidenau in 2015. Then in 2016 there was a xenophobic mob in Clausnitz that attacked a bus full of refugees. These pictures went around the world. Some companies were asked by customers and partners what was going on with them. There were questions about what kind of people they were who put the machines together in Saxony. That was the trigger for a number of companies to come together to send a positive signal for Saxony as a location. That was the basic motivation. We wanted to promote a welcoming culture.

But you couldn't deny the realities, the brown mob.

Of course not. Our approach was: Yes, Saxony has a problem, but we want to show that there are other sides too: cosmopolitan people and companies that position themselves clearly.

Many entrepreneurs would prefer to leave politics outside.

That's right, many entrepreneurs are unsettled. They say: We don't want to talk about politics at all, it's too tiring and polarizing too much, in the end the camps are irreconcilable. We also try to provide models or argumentative aids and say: Not speaking is the mistake. This leads to exclusion.

The 35 percent who, according to polls, would vote for the AfD are not all Nazis. Maybe 10 to 12 percent have really right-wing views and the rest are angry at the moment. And we need to talk about this: Why are they so angry?

About 35 percent of the workforce follows right-wing ideas?

That's how you could say it. This basically applies everywhere, in the authorities, in the police, in the teaching profession. Companies are required to take a clear position and stand up for democracy. We need stable economic conditions, which do not exist under populists.

What do you do with the 10 to 12 percent who are really right-wing?

Support the others. The big problem is the silent middle – both in society and among entrepreneurs. I think that it has now become clear to companies across the country that it is necessary to position themselves. This also has to do with the fact that the classic institutions such as the parties, the media, but also the churches, actually all large institutions, have lost trust. Studies also show that whenever this happens, the entrepreneur is in greater demand. His opinion is valued, especially in the workforce.

And why is democracy training needed?

There are definitely deficits in political education. An example: In our workshops we often hear that anyone who doesn't keep their election promises must be punished. The idea that we have a democracy based on consensus and compromise and that you can only keep election promises 100 percent if you have achieved an absolute majority is not anchored in people's minds. I think these deficits have historical roots.

Where are they?

Clearly in the transformation process in 1989/90. I'll put it bluntly as an East German: We were all given 100 D-Marks, but democracy wasn't explained to us. I still remember having all these questions myself: How does it work with the parties? Anyone who wanted to could find out more about it, but there was no broad democratic education.

And of course you also have to see that the East Germans have experienced that a system can be overturned. That's exactly what the AfD's narrative is now: We can overturn a system. But it has not been accepted that we do not live in a dictatorship, but in a democracy and can shape it ourselves.

But education alone won't alleviate people's frustration, right?

We also try to focus on the positive: Saxony is a rich country. We have outstanding research facilities, we have many hidden champions, and we have good working conditions. The unemployment rate is low. This federal state can be proud of its economic development. I am sometimes laughed at when I sit in discussion groups and say: Well, Helmut Kohl promised blooming landscapes. Look around, we have blooming landscapes, that's a fact.

A majority, most recently 64 percent according to the “Sachsen-Monitor” survey, are afraid of “over-foreign infiltration,” while at the same time the economy is struggling with a shortage of skilled workers that can only be alleviated through immigration.

The problem of skilled workers forces us to find solutions. We advise companies on how to overcome the bureaucratic hurdles when hiring people from abroad. With advice and workshops in companies, we help to set up integration concepts and become a cosmopolitan employer. It is crucial that companies take their local employees with them and ask for understanding: Put yourself in the shoes of your new colleagues. If someone abandoned me in Oman and I had no passport and no phone, I would be terribly helpless. The hospitals are already further along. They are the pioneers here in Saxony.

In what way?

They first had the skilled worker problem and are filling the gap by recruiting employees abroad and preparing their workforce accordingly. To a certain extent, it makes sense to everyone: either you have a colleague from Colombia or you don't have a colleague and the station is understaffed.

Companies that are well positioned take their employees with them to recruit them and educate them about the country's special features. Many nurses come from South America. There, for example, they have other methods of dressing wounds. Sometimes the methods are even better, so you can learn from each other. Of course, South Americans think differently than Saxons, which is nice.

For example?

They like to dance tango. Why don't we dance tango in a Saxon company? Here, too, we recommend taking people with you on a low-threshold basis. In this way, companies also fulfill an important function for society.

Like that?

Successful integration in the workplace radiates out from the company and strengthens moral courage. Within the company, the newcomer from Bogota or Damascus becomes the accepted, valued colleague, who in turn values ​​his German colleagues. Integration in companies is the key because it brings appreciation for both sides.