Extreme left-wing and right-wing parties are rising in Germany, making states like Thuringia and Saxony almost ungovernable. Democracy is at stake. At the same time, a current and a former politician from opposite ends of the political spectrum are hoping to inspire the nation with a revolutionary idea: unity despite disagreements. Will their approach work?

Former Defense Minster Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg from the conservative Christian Social Union (csu) and Gregor Gysi from the Left Party cohost a podcast and appear together in talk shows; they have also published a book together. Germany’s Welt commented on September 12:

Guttenberg is sitting in Sandra Maischberger’s panel discussion on Tuesday evening; next to him is someone who at first glance appears to be the opposite of him—and could therefore be his counterpart in a poisoned, merciless debate: left-wing politician Gregor Gysi. One is an aristocratic scion brought up in affluence, a trans-Atlanticist, at times a rising political star, before a plagiarism scandal caused him to fall from grace. The other grew up in the [German Democratic Republic], critical of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the United States. One in the csu, the other in the Left Party. And yet there is no clash between the two. The message the two want to send out in polarized times is that this is possible.

In the current political environment, no one wants to make a coalition with the Alternative for Germany (AfD), which opposes the liberal mainstream establishment and has leaders who have trivialized the Holocaust. But Germany’s conservatives also refuse to cooperate with the Left Party, the successor of the Socialist Unity Party of former East Germany. Recently, another party broke from this left-wing party to garner support from dissatisfied voters who don’t feel represented by the establishment. The rise of the two extremes has driven Germany into a political stalemate.

Asked by Oscar am Freitag-tv how to explain the rise of the AfD, Guttenberg said: “If the only solution is for existing coalitions to constantly kick each other to the curb, then it is understandable why people are looking for other alternatives, but then you have to take a close look at the alternatives and ask yourself whether they offer solutions or whether they are just castles in the air, and what I see is more of the latter.”

But another reason for the rise of the AfD is that normal conservative views have been suppressed. Gysi and Guttenberg discussed this in their podcast:

Guttenberg: Is it wise that we have ultimately taken away the space for movement from the normal right? I don’t exclude myself from this at all. If you want to categorize me today, in certain areas I have, let’s say, conservative convictions, in others I’ve become half socialist, in other areas I think very liberally, I feel very much in the middle myself—it depends on the topic. But I would have a problem if someone said that when it comes to issues that used to be considered normal right of center, you are quickly pushed even further to the right, which also makes people feel uncomfortable.

Gysi: There is a reason for all this, of course. The reason is our history; the Nazi dictatorship shapes our responsibility and our history, which is why it is much easier in Germany to say I am left-wing than to say I am right-wing.

Guttenberg: Although even this distinction isn’t quite right, because the Nazis weren’t just right-wingers. They were extremists, they were radical, they were fascists.

Gysi: Yes, but they are ultimately categorized by society as right-wing because of their racism, anti-Semitism and everything that came together, and that’s why there are different inhibitions in our country than in France and other countries.

Even conservative politicians like Guttenberg have abandoned many strict conservative views, giving rise to right-wing parties. This is a dangerous trend. Equally dangerous is that the far left, which harbors open hostility toward the Jewish state, is being normalized. Because Adolf Hitler and his followers were categorized by society in a certain way, normal conservative views are banned and extremes that resemble the hatred of the past are promoted.

Uniting different factions is a difficult task. But the Bible reveals that one leader will do it. (Request a free copy of A Strong German Leader Is Imminent.)

Daniel 11:21 states this man will rise by flatteries. In a 2009 Key of David program, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry said this leader could “perhaps take advantage of a weak coalition.” We are now seeing many weak coalitions—in Germany, France and other countries. Mr. Flurry has indicated Guttenberg may rise to the top of European government. His approach of unifying political factions could be a means to this end.

The Bible reveals that such unity will not last. As the late Herbert W. Armstrong explained in The Incredible Human Potential:

Today world-famous scientists say only a super world government can prevent world cosmocide. Yet men cannot and will not get together to form such a world-ruling government.

It’s time we face the hard, cold, realistic fact: Humanity has two alternatives: either there is an almighty, all-powerful God who is about to step in and set up the Kingdom of God to rule all nations with supernatural and supra-national FORCE to bring us peace—or else all human life will be obliterated (Matthew 24:22).

But the recent “recess” will soon erupt into nuclear World War iii—called, in biblical prophecy, the “Great Tribulation” (Matthew 24:21-22). But God will cut short that final supreme world trouble, and send Christ again to Earth as King of kings, Lord of lords—to restore God’s government by the world-ruling Kingdom of God!

Many recognize mankind’s inability to rule but fail to accept God’s solution. Request your free copy of The Incredible Human Potential to understand the hope-filled solution.