German companies take stand against extremism

More than 30 German companies, including BASF, Merck KGaA, and Bayer, have formed an alliance calling for "an open, diverse and prosperous Europe" ahead of European elections next month. The call by the group, Wir stehen für Werte ( We stand for values ), comes as the far-right party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) is in second place in the polls . The new group, which is also backed by the Federation of German Industries and the German Trade Union Confederation, is calling on the 1.7 million employees at its member companies to vote and take a stand "against populism and extremism." The campaign also plans to reach out more widely to the public with a social media campaign, both for the European elections and beyond. At the end of 2023, Germany had over 1.7 million unfilled jobs , and the shortfall is expected to continue growing in the coming years.