A new guide shows how Germany’s democratic networks are preparing to defend people’s rights – with foreign residents and people with a migrant background among those most exposed.
When thousands marched for “democracy” in Magdeburg ahead of Saxony-Anhalt’s regional election, the message was visible and emotional: “more love, less hate”, “a better life without Nazis”, and the very German joke that “potatoes also came from abroad”.
But another, quieter response to the far-right threat has also been taking shape: legal preparation.
Recht Solidarisch, or Solidarity in Law is a legal guidance and resource platform created by experts on right-wing extremism, local initiatives in Saxony-Anhalt and partners including Equal Rights Beyond Borders, the Republican Lawyers’ Association, the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation and others.
The project, which also has backing from senior figures in the Left Party, is designed to help civil society remain capable of action if authoritarian or far-right politics gain more power.
The Recht Solidarisch website identifies people with a migrant background, refugees and asylum seekers as particularly vulnerable.
How does Recht Solidarisch describe the current threat?
The Recht Solidarisch legal guide does not present the far-right threat as a single dramatic moment. Its central warning is almost the opposite – that democratic space is often narrowed step by step.
Events may be cancelled after political pressure. Funding for civil society projects may be reduced. Teachers may be intimidated for taking a democratic stance. Cultural institutions may be attacked. Migrants and refugees may be framed less as people with rights and more as a “security problem”.
READ ALSO: ‘Why is the AfD so popular?’ – Your questions answered on the far right threat in Germany
The project’s authors also stress that many incidents never appear in official or public statistics. These can include verbal abuse, everyday exclusion, intimidation and the kind of hostility that makes people avoid public spaces or consider moving away.
How does Recht Solidarisch plan to counter the threat?
Recht Solidarisch is more like a legal preparedness kit for civil society than a protest movement.
The idea is that if people know their rights before something happens, they’re less likely to feel powerless when it does. Similarly, if organisations know where pressure may come from, they can plan in advance.
If lawyers, counselling centres, migrant organisations, victim-support groups and activists are already connected, help can be found faster.
The guide was created after interview teams travelled through Saxony-Anhalt and spoke with local civil society actors about the pressures they were already experiencing. Lawyers from different fields then analysed likely conflicts and possible responses.
The result is a large, accessible collection of legal explanations, practical examples and support contacts. According to the site, it was partly inspired by the American Civil Liberties Union’s (ACLU) preparation for a second Donald Trump term.
READ ALSO: What happens next after AfD win in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania?
What advice does it offer?
For foreign residents and people with a migrant background, the main message is not to try and face discrimination, violence or official pressure alone.
The guide points people towards legal assistance, anti-discrimination advice, victim counselling, migration organisations, refugee councils, emergency funds and organisations that document racist and right-wing violence.
The guide includes both Saxony-Anhalt-specific support services and a substantial number of nationwide organisations and resources.
While the guide is currently only available in German, it also makes an effort to explain basic rights in everyday language. The guide covers:
- what happens in criminal proceedings
- what victims can do after an attack
- why securing evidence matters
- how people can seek legal help
- how support networks can make legal action less intimidating.
Importantly, it doesn’t pretend to replace individual legal advice. Instead, it offers initial orientation to help people understand what kind of problem they’re facing, what options may exist and where to turn next.
READ ALSO: ‘Revoke residency’ – What could the AfD do in Saxony-Anhalt after election win?
Is this only relevant in Saxony-Anhalt?
The guide takes Saxony-Anhalt as the main example and some parts are clearly regional, for example local counselling centres, state politics, specific towns and institutions, and Saxony-Anhalt legal or administrative contexts.
But much of the thinking is useful across Germany. The underlying risks – racist violence, pressure on immigrant organisations, official discrimination, attacks on civil society funding, intimidation of protesters and the misuse of “neutrality” arguments – are not confined to one state.
The guide also offers information about support services across the country.
How can people support these goals?
Recht Solidarisch also aims to make it easier for people to get informed, build networks, support those affected, report incidents and join or help democratic organisations.
For foreign residents, that could mean sharing reliable information in your own community, knowing which counselling centres exist locally, supporting migrant organisations, joining democratic initiatives, donating to legal or victim-support funds or simply accompanying someone who has experienced racism as they seek help.
READ ALSO: ‘It’s about our friends and neighbours’ – Left Party MP calls on Germany to ban the AfD
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: thelocal.de
