Radical Right-Wing Populists in Parliament

In: German politics and society, Band 36, Heft 3, S. 41-73

Abstract

Founded just five years ago, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) represents
the biggest opposition party in the German parliament. This article
addresses three questions in European comparative perspective: What is the
nature of the AfD as a relevant political party in the Bundestag? What explains
its rise and popularity? What is the party's behavior and impact in parliament,
and on German politics in general? Examining platforms, the article first identifies
programmatic and ideological shifts that have turned the AfD from a single
issue anti-Euro party into the first radical right-wing (populist) party in parliament
since the Nazi era. Second, voter analyses suggest that the AfD's political
radicalization has not undermined but increased its appeal. Third, the robust
electoral support for radical positions makes it likely that the party seeks to further
deepen political conflicts. Behavior in parliament shows that the party follows
its European counterparts' polarizing strategic orientations, reinforcing the
Europeanization of a nativist sociocultural "counter-revolution."