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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Jedidajah Otte

‘There is fear of what lies ahead’: Germans divided as snap election looms

Woman holding documents
A woman prepares postal voting documents for the upcoming general elections in Augsburg, Germany. Photograph: Angelika Warmuth/Reuters

“I live in Germany’s oldest city, founded by the Romans over 2,000 years ago,” said Gregor, 59, from Trier, a town of about 110,000 inhabitants in the country’s affluent south-west and part of the world-renowned Moselle valley wine region. A short driving distance away from the borders of Luxembourg, Belgium, France and the Netherlands, Trier is often described as being “in the heart of Europe”.

“When I walk the dog,” Gregor said, “I see old people looking for food in rubbish bins. It hurts me. Twenty years ago, I never saw anything like this.”

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