Otto-Brenner-Foundation: Extreme right dominates AfDNew study analyzes radicalization of the party

Frankfurt am Main. Before the AfD party conference at the end of July, the extreme right-wing networks within the party seem to have finally succeeded in assuming the strategic pioneering role in the party. This is a key finding of the "Radicalized and Established" study published by the Otto-Brenner-Foundation (OBS) on Wednesday. In their inventory, the political scientists Wolfgang Schroeder (University of Kassel) and Bernhard Weßels (Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin) show the AfD as a party of metamorphoses "that finds an ideological fixed point in Putin's authoritarian and anti-liberal politics". In their study, the authors work out the close ties that have existed for years between the AfD and Russia.

The authors state that the AfD has become ever more radicalized since it was founded and at the same time established itself in the German party system. Entry into parliament is of central importance for the party "due to the remarkably small number of members". "Because the funds that are generated in this way are a main source of income, alongside private donations," says co-author Schroeder. Both among the voters and among the members, the proportion of men is particularly large, explains OBS Managing Director Jupp Legrand. In the last two federal elections, for example, the AfD was the strongest party among male voters in East Germany.

The party's electorate is characterized by a weak economic position. Unemployment is almost twice as high among AfD voters compared to other parties. They are also less likely to be members of clubs and associations. "The AfD primarily appeals to voters who do not feel represented by other parties and feel politically disillusioned," sums up co-author Weßels. Distrust of democratic institutions and procedures is very pronounced among AfD voters. "But that doesn't mean that voting for the AfD is simply an expression of protest and disorientation," Weßels contradicts a frequently held thesis. Rather, AfD voters shared the party’s fundamental goals. Accordingly, they reject measures for equality more often than average and represent ethnocentric attitudes. In the 2021 federal election, 90 voted

percent of them say they feel well represented by the party.

»We must be able to democratically address the fears and worries of those who do not currently feel represented«, said Weßels. However, the concerns of those for whom the strength of the AfD poses a real threat should not be forgotten. "Approaching the AfD in rhetoric and content, as can currently be observed with some parties, cannot be a solution," warns OBS Managing Director Legrand. »Democratic answers rely on equality and the improvement of the social infrastructure and opportunities for participation for everyone.