THIS IS REVOLUTION ＞podcast EP 829: Germany on the Brink: How the Far Right Went Mainstream
Jan 14, 2026
Explore the rise of the far right in Germany, focusing on the AfD and its appeal across generations. The discussion dives into the party's neoliberal roots and the influence of past events like PEGIDA and the 2015 refugee policy. Guests analyze the normalization of radical messaging and how established parties have shifted rightward. They also debate the memory of Nazism, explain why scapegoating is popular, and predict the AfD's future in German politics. Advanced digital strategies and youth outreach are highlighted as essential to their success.
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Newness And Mainstream Convergence
- AfD benefits because it can claim to be the "new" party untainted by past governance failures.
- Other parties adopting AfD talking points shrinks political alternatives and legitimizes the far right.
Rhetoric Versus Written Programs
- German law blocks explicit ethnic programs, so AfD often expresses extremism via speeches and stunts rather than written platforms.
- Intelligence probes target rhetoric rather than party programs to classify right-wing extremism.
Limits Of Germany's Memory Culture
- Vergangenheitsbewältigung (overcoming the past) often ritualizes guilt without critiquing nation-state goals.
- That limited memory culture leaves structural drivers of fascism — nationalism and state power — unexamined.