Scandal about fake Chancellor's handbeat: AfD loses control!

Scandal about fake Chancellor's handbeat: AfD loses control!

A fake photo that shows an alleged handshake between Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the AfD member of the state parliament Gerhard Schenk causes excitement in political space. The Facebook post by Johannes Marxen, another AfD politician, quickly became a topic of discussion after it was exposed as a "cheapest fake". As the hna Merz in a festive framework with the Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj, and comes from an official visit in 2024.

The critics of the critics were targeted, since he not only reproduced the original photo correctly, but also represented Merz mirror -in -house, which leads to an unnatural situation. However, the background with the baroque doors of the presidential palace in Kyiv remained unchanged. The incident came at an interesting time after AfD boss Alice Weidel Merz had previously insulted as a “lies chancellor” during a Bundestag debate. The post was finally deleted after sharp criticism, as DokMZ

political manipulation in the digital age

The incidents related to the fake picture also skill lightly on the challenges of political opinion formation in times of digital manipulation. According to an analysis on bpb there is an increasing risk through artificial intelligence, the often for creating and spreading Disinformation is used. In a super election year like 2024, the fragility of trust in the media and institutions became particularly clear. The AfD has created a massive digital infrastructure that enables it to lead targeted disinformation campaigns.

The erosion of trust in the media, which fell from 48% in 2023 to 47% in 2024, shows how much the population is offset by current challenges. Artificial intelligence is perceived as a great risk associated with systematic manipulation of social media. Emotional reactions are used in a targeted manner to generate commitment, and these mechanisms contribute to the polarization of society. The AfD cleverly uses algorite means to spread their messages and mobilize their audience.