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AfD "extreme right"

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BBC article "AfD classified as extreme-right by German intelligence". -- Cdjp1 (talk) 21:26, 2 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

This classification is based on a report coming from a highly corrupted, biased, political driven agency and is hardly neutral nor objective. Also this report has not been officially released to the public nor dealt with in court. An office for "protection of the constitution" which spies on political opponents does not exist in any other western democracy besides Austria and should be a shame for Germany. 2003:DA:C735:F600:6C0F:A1D2:EFAA:5828 (talk) 03:41, 12 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]
If you publish that in a reliable source, such as the BBC, we may be able to use it in the article. As it is, it is just the opinion of a random person on the internet. --Hob Gadling (talk) 15:11, 24 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The AfD also has racist, anti-feminist, neo-fascist, islamophobic, revanchist and revisionist tendencies 2A02:8388:1AC7:7380:B92E:76C:59A3:FF2A (talk) 18:22, 4 May 2025 (UTC)[reply]

You do realize that historical fascism was pretty islamophilic? Your straw man arguments contradict each other. 2003:DA:C70D:4E00:B99F:2FC5:33B2:CFD9 (talk) 23:38, 5 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Again: You need reliable sources. Both of you. --Hob Gadling (talk) 08:21, 6 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Semi-protected edit request on 4 June 2025

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Hard facts24 (talk) 23:06, 4 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I just wanted to add they are a neo nazi party

 Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. Day Creature (talk) 06:16, 5 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Neo-fascism

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It's not unusual for a party associated with Germany's Nazi past to be labeled a neo-fascist party. It would be strange if it weren't (or not?). Well, that's exactly what happens on Wikipedia (it's not even mentioned). So I'm proposing a change related to the AfD's rather fascist roots. For starters, neo-fascism is a term that several of the most reliable media outlets have used to describe the party. These include POLITICO,[1] Open democracy,[2] RBC Ukraine,[3] Jacobin,[4] Foreign Affairs,[5] etc. In addition to these media outlets, several articles and books describe the party as neo-fascist. It's a tremendous inconsistency that neo-fascism isn't included in the party's infobox (not according to me, but according to multiple sources).[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] Others use similar labels such as proto-fascist, crypto-fascist, or near-fascist. The Independent for example describes it as near-fascist. 2800:2502:9:381F:52B7:A004:2CBB:67CD (talk) 14:29, 15 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]

"Fascism" is a left-wing smear terminology used by left-wing marxists who oppose democracy and the rule of law themselves.
Also, fascism includes multiple left-wing positions such as atheism, big government, economic socialism and a massive welfare state which is nowhere close to the positions the AfD stands for.
Also, the AfD does not have any fascist roots, the party was founded in 2013. Stop lying. 2003:DA:C70D:4E00:B99F:2FC5:33B2:CFD9 (talk) 23:35, 5 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Your opinions about fascism do not matter. You need to bolster them with reliable sources to make them useful for Wikipedia. --Hob Gadling (talk) 08:19, 6 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]


References

  1. ^ "5 years on from Angela Merkel's three little words: 'Wir schaffen das!'". POLITICO. 2020-08-31. Retrieved 2025-06-15. But for others, Merkel's open-door policy was a betrayal of the German Volk, an emotion the country's far right seized upon, giving the neo-fascist Alternative for Germany (AfD) a new lease on life.
  2. ^ "Towards a definition of populism". openDemocracy. Retrieved 2025-06-15. The most shocking of these came in Germany with the neo-fascist Alternative for Germany winning almost 13% of votes and capturing 92 seats in the Bundestag.
  3. ^ "Who will replace Scholz? Germany's upcoming elections and their impact on Ukraine". RBC-Ukraine. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  4. ^ "Germany's Anti-Palestinian Stance Is Rooted in Anti-Communism". jacobin.com. Retrieved 2025-06-15. Today, the neofascist Alternative for Germany party (AfD) can proudly proclaim membership in the mainstream by, among other things, accusing the Left of "extremism" as well as "antisemitism" due to its perceived support for Palestinians.
  5. ^ Bradford, Anu; Kelemen, R. Daniel; Pavone, Tommaso (2025-04-21). "Europe Could Lose What Makes It Great". Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
  6. ^ Glazunova, Sofya Bruns; Hurcombe, Axel; Montaña-Niño, Edward; Ximena, Silvia; Coulibaly, Souleymane; Obeid, Abdul Karim (2023-12-10). "Soft power, sharp power? Exploring RT's dual role in Russia's diplomatic toolkit". Information, Communication & Society. 26 (16): 3292–3317. doi:10.1080/1369118X.2022.2155485. ISSN 1369-118X. A large number of these spaces positioned themselves on the far right of the German political spectrum: more than one quarter (27) implicitly or explicitly declared their sympathies for the neo-fascist Alternative für Deutschland (AfD)³ party, or even presented as official pages or groups for the members and supporters of local AfD branches; additionally, one supported the earlier far-right Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands⁴ (NPD) party, and three of the four Austrian pages described themselves as local branches of the Islamophobic Pegida⁵ movement.
  7. ^ Chaudhary, Ajay Singh (2017-11-28). "In the Court of the Centrist King". Political Research Associates. As with the supposedly "boring" political situation in Germany, where the neo-fascist Alternative fur Deutschland party will now be the first Far Right party to enter its parliament since the end of WWII, Macron also represents a rightward trend: a brand of authoritarian liberalism that emboldens the Right, facilitating its political maneuvering, and allowing even small radical right-wing movements outsized influence over national policy.
  8. ^ Mast, Jason L.; Alexander, Jeffrey C. (2018-11-12). Politics of Meaning/Meaning of Politics: Cultural Sociology of the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election. Springer. ISBN 978-3-319-95945-0.
  9. ^ Byrne, David; Callaghan, Gill; Uprichard, Emma (2025-03-28). Global Crises: Complexity Based Research and Practice for Social Transformation. Policy Press. ISBN 978-1-4473-7085-7.
  10. ^ Pérez-Escolar, Marta; Noguera-Vivo, José Manuel (2021-09-30). Hate Speech and Polarization in Participatory Society. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-000-46288-3.
  11. ^ Bösch, Marcus (2023). "Alternative TikTok Tactics: How the German Right-Wing Populist Party AfD Plays the Platform". Fast Politics. Springer Nature Singapore: 149–167. ISBN 978-981-99-5110-9.
  12. ^ Hediger, Vinzenz (March 2025). Trust and Specatorship (PDF). ConTrust Working Paper (10 ed.). Goethe University Frankfurt am Main. Elon Musk, owner of twitter/X and a naturalized South African, used his power and reach to endorse the neo-fascist AfD party in the run-up to the 2025 federal election, an unprecedented third-party interference in national electoral politics in a Western liberal democracy from a purported ally (but different from Russian interference in European elections or US interference in Central and Latin America only in terms of its open nature and brazenness).
  13. ^ Wall, John (2021-10-21). Give Children the Vote: On Democratizing Democracy. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-350-19630-8.
  14. ^ Roché Guerrero, Katia Gisett; Alonso Valle, Hayla Massiel (2023). "The rise of the ultra-right and neo-fascism in Europe in the 21st century". Perspectiva austral. 1 (0): 13. ISSN 3008-8771.
  15. ^ Louis, Tatjana; Molope, Mokgadi; Peters, Stefan, eds. (December 6, 2021). Dealing with the Past: Perspectives from Latin America, South Africa and Germany. Baden-Baden. ISBN 978-3-7489-2352-7. This could be of interest, especially in view of current debateson neo-Nazi structures and/or the electoral successes of the right-wingor even neo-fascist AfD (Alternative für Deutschland) in the former GDR.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  16. ^ "Neofaschismus auf dem Vormarsch. Themen, Strategien und Netzwerke der AfD in Hamburg". GEW Hamburg. Retrieved 2025-06-15.

Semi-protected edit request on 24 June 2025

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Change: Syriennea (talk) 11:49, 24 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. Charliehdb (talk) 13:36, 24 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Once again AFD is undeniably neo-fascist.

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Its members literally go on neo-nazi protests and marches. They propagate the Imperial flag of germany in their ads. Are ultranationalistic. Want to reindastrialize germany. LEAVE THE EU AND LEAVE THE WHO. Not calling them neo-fascists is literal censorship. (Amd of someone says that again that fascsim is left wing I dont think you should be able to discuss politics) T. ButterII (talk) 04:58, 18 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]

You need reliable sources for that. --Hob Gadling (talk) 20:38, 24 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Populism and national conservative designations

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Several sentences within the article underplay or change the meaning of the citations they're citing. AfD's self-identification as populist and national conservative should not be uncritically listed. Both are a euphemism for völkish nationalism; since 2020, most scholars do not consider AfD conservative (even national conservative) as the party's most prominent faction seeks a palingenesis rather than conservation of Germany. A quick glance through Google Scholar show both are disputed or needs heavily contextualisation. (1, 2, Radical Right Populism in Germany: AfD, Pegida, and the Identitarian Movement, Alternative Für Deutschland: The AfD Germany's New Nazis Or Another Populist Party?, and many other references that I found) proclaim that populism and national conservative serve as a euphemism for neo-fascism in the context of the AfD. In fact, every recent paper or journal or work of literature I found in an academic context denotes caution in using either.

Early academic references do use both. However, all are before the party underwent a widely cited "radical change" in its internal ideology, and it would appear to me that this would be a misuse of reference. I'm neutral on having a historical designation in the infobox or removing it all together. Looking for feedback. SickNWristed (talk) 15:39, 25 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Revert request

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With major changes in the article made by @SickNWristed there needs to be a discussion on weather the claims made by this user are fully reliable. Thus until this discussion actually takes place I'm requesting that the article be reverted to this date "11:55, 20 July 2025" which is right before the edits were made. To note there should've been a consensus made before the edits on the ideology were contributed to the article. Though this doesn't mean I disagree with everything this user has contributed, in which I do agree a portion of his edits are beneficial. The claims about ideology are controversial and this should be reviewed. thank you. Zyxrq (talk) 14:33, 26 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Völkisch nationalism is how Routledge Advances in Sociology (a handbook for sociologists, political scientists, and historians) Oxford, and others describe AfD.
German political scientist Samuel Salzborn gives a meta-analysis of the current literature that states:

The relatively new party known as the Alternative for Germany (Alternative für Deutschland, AfD) and its relationship to right-wing extremism have been the subject of a great deal of intensive discussion among political and social scientists. While one stream of research focuses primarily on the strategic aspects of the AfD, such as its populist rhetoric and use of social media, another devotes more attention to the worldview of the AfD, and its increasing radicalization from a right-wing conservative party to a right-wing extremist one... It has become undeniable that the AfD has now adopted large parts of the far-right tradition, including racism and völkisch nationalism (a form of ethnonationalism) as central components with an ideology of inequality, alongside nationalist protectionism and anti-EU economic positions, an emphatic rejection of parliamentarianism and representative democracy, and a long-standing antifeminism and hostility towards gender equality.

A large majority of the right-wing populist or national conservative language predates 2019 or 2020 and is cited from news sources rather than academic texts or a meta-analysis of the current literature. Salzborn (along with other references that I found through Google Scholar) that do perform a meta-analysis write that völkish nationalism is the predominant designation given to AfD and that national conservatism and right-wing populist are euphemisms (according to Routledge Advances in Sociology) that are intended to whitewash the party's ideology among the press and mainstream right. Among the remaining modern sources that do use populist, they are using it in the context of Völkisch nationalism, which is considered a populist ideology. (Ralf Havertz)
Thus, a tautology. Völkisch nationalism and Euroscepticism represent the majority and significant minority positions of the literature quite nicely. Any objections? SickNWristed (talk) 15:28, 26 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]
@Zyxrq:SickNWristed (talk) 04:21, 30 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]
@SickNWristed I do agree with the addition of völkisch nationalism into the information box. Though I do disagree with removing the conservative designation. Simply because from the information you have given us it seems to me Samuel Salzborn thinks the AfD is a far right populist-conservative party with völkisch nationalism as a uniting element. Which isn't really that different from how we already describe the ideology of the AfD. Zyxrq (talk) 05:16, 30 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]
The infobox had a note for that reason. Conservative and right-wing populist are generally cited to decades-old sources and after scrolling through Google Scholar: it is a small minority view in meta-analysis that examine the question. Multiple describe these terms as euphemisms for völkisch nationalism and state that there is a consensus amongst scholars to no longer label AfD conservative.
The AfD is significantly more radical than Britain's Reform UK, the Brothers of Italy, or even Hungary's Fidesz or France's National Rally, and all of these parties have cut ties or otherwise generally refused to work with them. Most scholars consider them a different animal to 2010s and 2020s right-populists.
Members of the former (comparably moderate and predominantly civic nationalist) factions have now left the party, changed their views and at least partially endorsing völkisch ideologies or concepts such as remigration, or radicalized significantly from their former positions. Alice Weidel's influence within the party has greatly diminished and most listed her as a "fig-leaf".
Salzborn's stance is more complicated than populist-conservative with vôlkisch elements and other scholars dismiss it completely. (Including those on the right.)
Völkisch nationalism and Eurosceptic should be listed. We can include a note saying that the conservative and right-wing populist terms are controversial. Even members of the moderate faction now identifiy with völkisch principles. I similarly think that neo-fascist and neo-Nazi are too harsh at the moment. Even among the more radical der Flügel faction that was later officially abolished.
Would you revert if I made the edit? SickNWristed (talk) 06:05, 30 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Völkisch nationalism can be re-added although for now conservatism and populism should stay for further deliberation. When I have time I will continue this conversation. Zyxrq (talk) 13:49, 30 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]
Salzborn states that it has shifted "from a right-wing conservative party to a right-wing extremist one... It has become undeniable that the AfD has now adopted large parts of the far-right tradition, including racism and völkisch nationalism (a form of ethnonationalism)". This means that he views völkisch nationalism as the primary factor, as a large majority of AfDs see the German nation in cultural-racial terms.
Invoking Salzborn is therefore misplaced here. I am generally cautious about labeling parties far-right, ethnic nationalist, or neo-fascist, but using Völkisch nationalism (ethnonationalism)/Euroscepticism should be uncontroversial here, as the AfD is intellectually distinct and far more radical than either European right-populists or national conservatives.
Those that do mention it in the context of the AfD describe populist and conservative as euphemisms intended to downplay the party's ideology. In contast, all of them, including members of the AfD, use völkisch. SickNWristed (talk) 05:51, 1 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The article is now disorganized

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Völkish nationalism has been removed as an ideology ( did we seriously learn nothing) yet in the description it is still stated as its main ideology. Can we please stop with this blatant censorship T. ButterII (talk) 19:53, 30 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I've found no mainstream academic source that categorises the party as conservative after its dramatic ideological change during the end of the 2010s. I agree that the current version of the article is problematic. Pinging recent commentators (@Hob Gadling: and @Cdjp1:) to see how they view the situation. SickNWristed (talk) 05:43, 1 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]
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