“Congratulations. Björn Höcke now knows where the real Germans live: in the East,” former German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg wrote in an article published by Focus Online June 14. Thuringia’s Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) leader Björn Höcke declared in a podcast: “In the East, people are still German; in the West, they have found a substitute identity over decades and have allowed themselves to be completely usurped by American culture.”

The AfD party is particularly strong in eastern Germany, which was once ruled by the Soviet Union. The party is poised to win the upcoming state election in Saxony-Anhalt in September. Some polls suggest the party could govern without a coalition.

Guttenberg has previously called AfD leaders “intellectually shallow-rooted people,” but the mainstream politicians have failed to curtail the AfD’s rise. Can Guttenberg’s offensive change this reality?

Exposing the AfD

Höcke cited the following quote without attribution: “In the western part of the republic live German-speaking Americans, and in the eastern part of the republic live German-speaking Germans.”

Guttenberg said this quote was from “Margarita Simonyan, chief architect of Russian disinformation at the state-run broadcaster RT,” accusing Höcke of copying his campaign strategy from “Moscow’s playbook.”

Guttenberg wrote regarding Höcke’s comments:

Let’s briefly imagine what follows from this logic. Every German in the West who has ever worn jeans, drunk Coke, listened to jazz, or … said “OK” is no longer a German, but an American with an umlaut, a savings account and a trash can for general waste.

The AfD is often accused of wanting to define what it means to be German. This concerns many Germans who fear that even the slightest migrant background would disqualify one from citizenship. Höcke’s statement takes it a step further. Guttenberg wrote: “[T]he most dangerous aspect, Höcke defines who ‘truly’ belongs: ethnic affiliation based on zip code. An old tool of exclusion with a new label.”

The AfD has done a remarkable job of exposing Germany’s many problems and has hence risen in popularity. However, some of its leaders are very flawed, making easy targets for someone like Guttenberg to expose.

He argues that more needs to be done to expose the AfD leaders’ weaknesses. The mainstream strategy so far has been to avoid engaging with the AfD; Guttenberg appears ready to confront them openly.

Last year, Guttenberg said: “There is a need for substantive confrontation, and in my opinion, that doesn’t happen enough. What are we afraid of?”

In a May 13 podcast with left-wing icon Gregor Gysi, “Is a Firewall the Best Weapon Against the AfD?”, Guttenberg said he is a proponent of the firewall (no cooperation with the AfD); however, he proposed that eloquent politicians should debate the AfD publicly and expose them. He said:

And now we’re back to the point where we need to put you—or even me—on stage and have these very conversations in such a way that people finally get to hear the better arguments from the mouths of those who, hopefully, will then be able to present them.

Guttenberg has the gift of rhetoric. During the height of his political career in 2010, he was the most popular politician of his day—and in many ways, his former popularity has been unmatched. In 2011, Tagesspiegel referred to him as a “great captivator.” Even after his plagiarism scandal, former Chancellor Angela Merkel referred to him as “a magnet who fascinates the people.” In 2016, Die Welt called him a “talented orator who can cast a spell over people.”

“Such charisma is rare, even among politicians, and it is one of KT zu Guttenberg’s defining traits!” Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote in our January 2020 Trumpet.

It must grieve Guttenberg to see “intellectually shallow-rooted people” drawing masses of voters behind them. But he also may see the failure of the established political class to confront them as an opportunity to reenter politics.

Watch Guttenberg

Guttenberg is presenting himself as the angel of light in the fight against the “new Nazis”—the AfD. Yet Bible prophecy reveals that the greater danger to Europe’s future is a deceitful charismatic leader!

Baron Guttenberg’s oratorial skill makes him a key candidate to fulfill end-time prophecy. As Mr. Flurry explained in “Is KT zu Guttenberg About to Come to Power?”:

The Bible gives us even more clues on what this coming German strongman will be like. “And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries” (Daniel 11:21). This strongman will come to power, likely not by votes from the people, but “by flatteries.” He will somehow manipulate the political system to effectively hijack Germany and, by extension, Europe.

Knowing that such political intrigue will occur makes the bureaucratic turmoil in Berlin important to watch. The government is shaky, the need for strong leadership is clear—but the path to achieve it is unknown. This prophesied leader may well exploit this frustration and confusion by rallying a coalition behind him and vaunting himself to power. This would take a lot of intelligence and calculation; it would require unusual skill to deceive people in high places with flattery. But the prophesied Daniel 8 man will do it magnificently. Adolf Hitler was a man of mental strength, but he was not as adept at deceiving people as this coming strongman will be! This leader will come as an angel of light.

Guttenberg has already gained a certain level of influence over the German government. However, Germany and Europe as a whole lack a charismatic leader who can rally the masses. While his path to power is unclear, Bible prophecy is certain: a German strongman will rise to power through flatteries.