“Political youngsters” in Europe trying to ban ‘alternative’ parties — Putin

Department of Research, Strategic Studies and International Relations 02-02-2025

The present and future generations of Germans are not responsible for crimes of the Hitler Germany’s time, Russian president stressed

European political elites have degenerated, which is why instead of presenting an attractive program to voters they are fighting against competitors using bans, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with VGTRK journalist Pavel Zarubin as he commented on the situation with the Alternative for Germany party whose ban is being discussed by the country’s authorities.

Putin characterized the European elites as “simply political youngsters.” “This is what the emergence of various ‘alternatives’ stems from, by the way. And then [they] are trying to use bans for fighting against those ‘alternatives’, as if they did not understand that, well, today’s bans will be followed tomorrow by another ‘alternative’, with another name emerging,” he said.

“If the society needs promotion of a certain political idea, there is no way around it. How did they (European politicians – TASS) taught us at some point? Present a more effective program,” the Russian president noted.

The present and future generations of Germans are not responsible for crimes of the Hitler Germany’s time, Putin stressed.

“Today’s German society has nothing to do with it. Indeed, the historical memory exists, it is important to remember it, one cannot forget about it, but I don’t think that it is fair to put blame for what happened in the 1930s and the 1940s on today’s generation of Germans,” he said.

Representatives of European elites are not doing a job right up their alley, Putin said, adding that among them there are no those having their own opinion or equal to political figures of the end of the 20th century.

“In Europe there were outstanding global political figures, such as [French presidents Charles] de Gaulle, [Francois] Mitterrand, in the contemporary world – [Jacques Chirac], in Germany – [chancellors] Willy Brandt, [Helmut] Kohl, and [Gerhard] Schroeder,” Putin noted. “Those are people who had their own opinion and the nerve to fight for their own opinion, bring it out, speak about it and at least try to implement it practically,” he added.

“Today there are almost no such people there. Sometimes I even look at what is going on with surprise. Some people having no education, which are obviously not doing a job right up their alley,” Putin said.