Far-Right Fire: Germany’s AfD Appeals to the Youth Vanguard
In recent years, Germany’s far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has vaulted from the political fringes to the mainstream, consistently ranking among the top three most popular parties in the country. Surprisingly, this surge can be attributed, in large part, to the growing support of young voters.
Generation AfD: A Startling Shift in Youth Politics
Recent polls and elections have confirmed this alarming trend. In the 2023 Bavarian state election, a staggering 16% of voters aged 18-24 cast their ballots for the AfD, a 9 percentage point increase from the previous election. Even more concerning, in September’s Bavarian mock state election for under-18s, the AfD leaped 6 percentage points to claim second place with 14.9% of the youth vote.
This same pattern emerged in the 2023 Hesse state election, where the AfD received an astonishing 18% of votes from 18-24-year-olds, an 8 percentage point jump.
The AfD’s Divisive Platform
The AfD espouses far-right ideologies, including anti-immigration, anti-multiculturalism, and anti-Islamic policies. It seeks to scrap the euro as a national currency, lift sanctions against Russia, and dismantle Germany’s renewable energy portfolio.
Despite rising popularity, the party continues to face widespread public criticism, including calls for a ban and anti-right protests. German domestic intelligence services have classified certain AfD factions and politicians as extreme right.
Echo Chambers and Algorithm Addiction
Traditionally perceived as left-leaning, young voters are now veering towards the right, a trend attributed to the influence of social media echo chambers.
“Political topics can quickly become problematic within these rabbit holes,” explains Eva Berendsen, a communication and political education expert at the Anne Frank educational institute. Through online algorithms, young users are exposed to a narrow range of opinions, fostering a myopic political perspective.
A recent study revealed that over half of Germany’s 14-29-year-olds rely on social media for news and political updates. Instagram and TikTok are particularly popular, with 80% and 51% of the youth audience using the platforms, respectively.
TikTok’s Far-Right Stronghold
The AfD has found a fertile recruiting ground on TikTok, while other German parties have been largely absent from the platform. The official TikTok account of the CDU’s parliamentary faction, currently the leading opposition party, garners an aggregate of less than 15,000 views per post.
In stark contrast, the AfD parliamentary faction’s videos routinely garner over 50,000 total views, with many posts accumulating hundreds of thousands or even millions of views. Provocative titles include “The left-green online Stasi is coming” and “Ms [Foreign Minister] Baerbock, you are the biggest danger for Germany’s foreign policy since 1949.”
At the time of writing, the AfD parliamentary faction boasts over 414,000 TikTok followers, dwarfing its presence on other social media platforms such as Instagram, where it has amassed only 108,000 followers.
Stars of the Far-Right
Individual AfD politicians have also found success on TikTok. For instance, European Parliament member Maximilian Krah’s videos routinely reach hundreds of thousands of viewers. He presents himself as a defender of “real men” and frequently counters left-wing figureheads.
Despite repeated violations of TikTok’s community guidelines, Krah’s account has been temporarily restricted, preventing his videos from appearing on the platform’s “For-You” page. Nevertheless, his most recent videos continue to attract thousands of views.
TikTok has established rules against hateful behavior, speech, and ideology. However, Berendsen maintains that TikTok’s format enables echo chambers.
“TikTok’s strength lies in short videos that quickly convey simple messages and emotions,” Berendsen says. “On such a platform, populists have an easier time than those who seek nuance.”
A Tailored Message for Young Minds
“The AfD has a strong presence on social networks because it delivers content that resonates with the youth,” an AfD spokesperson told CNBC (translated comment).
Far-right influencers have mastered this art, employing emojis reminiscent of far-right symbols to attract young followers. For example, the combination of red, white, and black hearts represents the Third Reich flag.
The German youth protection organization BzKJ has expressed concern that this content is tailored specifically to appeal to young people.
“Extremist content often targets youth with professional production values and topics that align with their cultural interests,” a BzKJ spokesperson explained (translated comment).
“The extremist nature of this content may not always be immediately apparent.”
Navigating the Regulatory Landscape
TikTok enforces rules against hateful content using various detection methods, including computer vision, language models, and keyword processing. In the final quarter of 2023, over 90% of content violating the guidelines was proactively taken down, according to TikTok.
Yet, experts argue that these measures are insufficient.
“Videos may still trend and achieve their impact before they can be removed,” the BzKJ spokesperson said (translated comment).
Berendsen believes that social media platforms should not bear sole responsibility for monitoring content but emphasizes the need for media literacy education and accountability.
“Digital information providers have a responsibility to protect minors,” she said, citing German regulation and the EU Digital Services Act (DSA).
The DSA establishes specific requirements for Big Tech companies to address illegal and harmful content, particularly as it relates to minors’ safety. The EU is currently investigating TikTok’s compliance with these regulations.
