East Germany’s exodus of women fuels growing political radicalisation

Since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of industry in the former East Germany, many women have left the region and never returned. Men are now over-represented, with a surplus of up to 25 percent in some municipalities. This shortage of women has created a vicious cycle: a rapidly ageing population, a loss of social cohesion and a decline in the attractiveness of eastern cities. The gender imbalance is also fuelling political radicalisation, which Germany’s far-right AfD party is taking advantage of. FRANCE 24’s Anne Mailliet, Willy Mahler, Nick Holdsworth and Caroline du Bled report.