German sociologist: democracy-protection measures now fuel far-right extremism

Steffen Mau, a sociologist at the Max-Planck Institute, argues in an interview that institutional safeguards designed to protect German democracy are being exploited by far-right actors, particularly through the lens of East German identity and memory politics. The claim is an analytical opinion rather than a documented event, and its significance lies in the ongoing debate over democratic resilience in Germany ahead of elections.