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From Stärke der AfD in Sachsen-Anhalt: "Der Osten ist eher das Normal", tagesschau.de, 26 August 2026. Quoted for study. The words are the publisher's; the analysis is ours.
Meaning
It is not a typically East German problem, says Höhne, but one of all Western democracies, only less pronounced in the West.
Word for word: A typical east-German problem be it not, says Höhne, but one of all western democracies, in-the West only weaker pronounced.
Höhne argues that this problem is not specifically East German but exists in every Western democracy, merely to a lesser degree in West Germany/the West.
The verb 'sei' is subjunctive one (Konjunktiv I), used to mark indirect speech reporting what Höhne claims. The frame contains the quoted statement; 'sagt Höhne' is an inserted reporting clause. 'eines' stands for 'ein Problem' (neuter pronoun of the indefinite article). 'aller westlichen Demokratien' is a genitive plural depending on 'eines'. 'im Westen nur schwächer ausgeprägt' is an elliptical participial phrase modifying 'Problem'.
Rules at work(6)
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sei
'Sei' instead of 'ist' marks the clause as reported/indirect speech attributed to Höhne.
Reported speech in journalism and formal writing. It is built from the infinitive stem, and where its form would be identical to the ordinary present, Konjunktiv II is used instead to keep the reporting visible.
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sondern
'Sondern' coordinates the corrected alternative after the negated element.
Weil, dass, wenn, als, ob, obwohl, damit, nachdem, bevor and the rest introduce a subordinate clause and send its finite verb to the very end.
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aller westlichen Demokratien
The genitive plural expresses 'of all Western democracies' depending on 'eines'.
The genitive shows possession and follows a small set of prepositions. Masculine and neuter nouns add s or es. In speech it is often replaced by von plus the dative, but it is alive in writing and in fixed expressions.
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ausgeprägt
The past participle functions adjectivally in the elliptical phrase describing how strongly the problem shows.
Both participles can stand before a noun and take ordinary adjective endings. The past participle is passive in sense, the present participle active: das gekochte Ei against das kochende Wasser.
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im Westen
'In' takes dative here because it expresses location, not direction.
An, auf, hinter, in, neben, über, unter, vor and zwischen take the accusative when the phrase answers where to, and the dative when it answers where. The distinction is movement across a boundary against position, not motion against stillness.
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Ein typisch ostdeutsches Problem
After the indefinite article 'ein' the adjective takes the mixed ending -es.
After ein, kein and a possessive, the adjective takes strong endings exactly where the article shows nothing, which is the masculine nominative and the neuter nominative and accusative, and weak endings everywhere else.
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Words(19)
- ein
a, an, one
determinerA1indefinite
The form einer here is dative feminine singular, not the pronoun meaning 'one'.
- typisch
typical, characteristic
adjectiveB1
- ostdeutsch
East German
adjectiveB1
- das Problem
problem
nounA2pl. Problemegen. Problemsstrong declension
- sein
to be
verbA1sein, war, ist gewesenmit seinirregular
Copula here linking subject to predicate noun.
- es
it
pronounA1personal
Often a dummy subject, as in es geht darum.
- nicht
not
adverbA1negation
Negates single words or phrases directly before them; sentence negation places it later.
- sagen
to say, to tell
verbA1sagen, sagte, hat gesagtmit habenweak
- der Höhne
Höhne (surname)
nounA1pl. Höhnesgen. Höhnesstrong declension
- sondern
but rather
conjunctionA2coordinating
Used only after a negation to introduce the correct alternative.
- einer
one, one of
pronounA2indefinite
Here stands for 'ein Problem'; declines like the indefinite article.
- alle
all, every
determinerA1quantifier
- westlich
western, West German
adjectiveB1
- die Demokratie
democracy
nounB1pl. Demokratiengen. Demokratieweak declension
- in
in, into
prepositionA1governs accusative or dative
Dative for location, accusative for direction.
- der Westen
the West, west
nounA2pl. Westengen. Westensmixed declension
- nur
only, just
particleA1
- schwach
weak, faint
adjectiveB1
- ausgeprägt
pronounced, distinct
adjectiveC1