Is it possible that radical viewpoints could become acceptable in salons?
In recent years, political parties across Europe have faced the challenge of far-right extremist infiltration. One such party, the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) in Germany, has been under scrutiny for its ties to extremist groups.
The overall party, The Left, is not monitored by the constitutional protection, but left-wing extremist currents within the party, such as the youth organization Linksjugend Solid in Baden-Württemberg, are under observation.
The AfD, initially a euro-critical party, transformed into a right-wing populist and extremist profile from 2014 onwards, driven by electoral successes in the east and the growing immigration issue. The party's radical wing has been able to marginalize more moderate forces, leading to the departure of figures like Jörg Meuthen, former AfD chief from Baden-Württemberg.
Extremists target socially relevant topics, such as migration and climate change, to mobilize for political issues and questions within parties. They aim to blur the dividing line to the non-extremist camp by influencing, instrumentalizing, and radicalizing the democratic spectrum of a party.
Strategies used by extremist elements for infiltration include gradual entry into party membership to gain internal influence, using populist and nationalist messaging to appeal to broader electorates while embedding extremist ideology, exploiting political fractures and discontent to position themselves as the "true" defenders of national identity, manipulating party structures or mergers, and utilizing online platforms to spread extremist narratives and recruit sympathizers.
The democratic spectrum can distance itself from extremists and their solutions, or tolerate them, which plays a role in the extremists' ability to infiltrate parties. Internal party conflicts must be handled differentially and solution-oriented to prevent a polarization-driven shift of moderate positions towards the extreme and stabilize the heterogeneous political center.
Historically, the National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD) has ties to neo-Nazi ideologies and extremist activities, and German intelligence reported having numerous informants within the party to monitor such infiltration. Similarly, neo-fascist parties like the British National Party have been linked with extremist agendas including racial supremacy and anti-immigration sentiments.
These methods allow extremists to shift mainstream parties toward the far-right spectrum by gaining leadership roles or shaping party agendas from inside, rather than forming exclusively separate extremist parties. This dynamic has been observed across Europe and in other contexts where far-right populist movements gain traction.
In conclusion, the infiltration of political parties by far-right extremists involves strategic membership and leadership penetration, exploitation of nationalist-populist discourses, and sometimes structural moves like party mergers, combined with extensive use of social media and online avenues to advance extremist goals. Preventing such infiltration requires a proactive approach to identify and address extremist activities within parties, and a commitment to uphold democratic values and pluralism.
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