We need to talk about the AfD

You’ve probably heard of the AFD (Alternative for Germany) by now. They’re the far-right political party that’s been making waves in German politics. Some have even compared them to the Nazis and there's a fucking good reason for this. The results of the German Federal elections which took place yesterday have just been announced. There was a general move to the right as the incumbents, the Social Democrats came third behind the Centre right Christian Democratic Union. AfD  came second, polling a fifth of the votes. 

The AFD started in 2013, originally as a Eurosceptic party. Like most of the Alt right parties in Europe they began their campaigns by criticising the European Union, particularly the bailouts during the financial crisis. Specifically, they didn’t want Germany bailing out Greece. By 2015, with the refugee crisis on the horizon and the the AFD saw an opportunity to grab people’s attention with the issue of immigration. 

At this point they went from a niche party on the fringes of German politics to a loud, full-on populist movement. They’ve become the political home for people angry about immigrants, the EU, and “liberal elites” that they claim are ruining the country. The AFD, in short, is all about nationalism, and they’ve played up fears about refugees, Muslims, and cultural change to stir up support. And it’s worked. They’ve been growing in popularity, especially in eastern Germany, and they’ve even been able to gain seats in the Bundestag (Germany's parliament). Jonathan Pie, the satirical news anchor, recently said that the AFD is “the closest thing Germany has had to Nazis since… well, the Nazis.” He's not wrong. When you dig deeper, you start to understand where he's coming from. Pie’s not saying the AFD is exactly like the Nazis, but he's pointing out how dangerously close the party’s rhetoric comes to some of the same far-right nationalism that led to one of the darkest periods in history. The AFD doesn’t openly embrace violent extremism, but they’ve certainly been flirting with ideas that raise red flags. 

Take Björn Höcke, for example, one of the AFD’s more extreme figures, known for making remarks that play down Germany’s responsibility for the Holocaust. And that’s just one example. The AFD’s nationalism, anti-immigrant stance, and revisionist attitudes toward history are alarmingly similar to the kind of rhetoric that’s been used by extreme far-right groups in the past. And this is the problem. It’s not just about what the AFD says, but also about what they’re encouraging—nationalism, division, and fear of “the other.” Björn Höcke is a special piece of work. He’s the Party leader in Thuringia and is a holocaust denier. In the past hes called for a "180-degree turn" in Germany's remembrance culture, implying that Germany should stop feeling guilty for its Nazi past. He has referred to the Holocaust memorial in Berlin as a "monument of shame." And he has used rhetoric that echoes Nazi language, including terms like "remigration," which suggests mass deportations of non-Germans. His speeches often emphasize ethnic nationalism, framing immigration as a threat to German identity. This rhetoric aligns with extremist nationalist views that echo sentiments found in neo-Nazi ideology. Höcke has been linked to the ‘Identitarian Movement’, a far-right group in Europe that promotes a white nationalist agenda. This group has been associated with anti-immigrant and anti-Islam sentiments, which align with Höcke's views. During his political career, Höcke has received support from various extremist factions, including neo-Nazi sympathizers and organizations. His rhetoric has often resonated with these groups, further solidifying his place in the far-right landscape. Höcke leads the "Flügel" (Wing) faction within the AFD, which is known for its hardline nationalist and anti-immigrant positions. This faction is often seen as the more extremist wing of the party, and it has been described as having ties to neo-Nazi sentiments. 

Then there was Andreas Kalbitz who was expelled from the Party in 2020 who had direct links to the neo-Nazi "Heimattreue Deutsche Jugend" (HDJ), a far-right youth group banned in Germany. He was highly influential in the party and is still known for his ethic nationalism and white supremacism. He also had links with other European and US neo-Nazi groups. 

Another, Jens Maier who is a Judge in Saxony called himself a ‘little Nazi’ during a speech and he defended Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik saying the media exaggerated his actions. Marcus Frohnmaier who serves as a member for Baden-Wurttemburg is the intellectual in the group. He has been accused of having close ties to Russian far-right nationalists and allegedly has been tasked to destablise Germany by them. He founded the ‘German Centre for Eurasian Studies’ which has direct links to Russian neo-Nazi groups and has been instrumental in promoting anti-Ukrainian propoganda in Germany during Putin's so called special military operation there. 

And finally there’s Alice Weidel who is the Co-leader of the Party pushes the ‘great replacement’ theory and has made racist attacks on Arabs, Sinti and Roma people. She’s the one that JD Vance met instead of meeting the German Government the other week after his unhinged speech and she’s supposed to be the moderate one. 

Of course the AFD isn’t just a German problem: they’re part of a much bigger global trend of far-right movements that have been popping up in the US, the UK, and other parts of Europe. And one of the people who’s been pulling strings behind the scenes is Steve Bannon, industrial scale Nazi POS, the former advisor to Donald Trump and mastermind of the alt-right website Breitbart. 

Bannon’s been on a mission to spread right-wing populism around the world. He sees these movements as part of a bigger, co-ordinated effort to shake up the political order and push nationalism and the AFD is right in the middle of this. In fact, Bannon has been actively advising the AFD. Back in 2018, he met with party members, offering them tips on how to sharpen their message and grow their influence. He’s been helping them play the populist game, using tactics like fearmongering about immigrants and the elites. 

The AFD has strong ties to other far-right groups across Europe. In the UK, for instance, Nigel Farage and his Brexit campaign have aligned themselves with nationalist movements like the AFD. And across Europe, there are groups like France’s National Rally (formerly the National Front) and Italy’s Lega that share the AFD’s views on immigration and national identity. These parties are all part of the same far-right network, and they all feed off the same angry, nationalist sentiments. 

The AFD is also well funded. Just like other far-right parties, the AFD has a mix of grassroots support and, let’s be honest, some pretty shady backers. There’s been talk of wealthy donors, including allegedly Elon Musk. Mainly the funding that’s declared is from donors within Germany, but also from outside the country, people who have an interest in seeing Europe become more divided and less united. You’ve got oligarchs, business tycoons, and other wealthy figures who back these parties because they know that a fractured, chaotic Europe suits their interests. 

Then there's the darker side of things. The AFD’s is the public face of the far right in Germany but it’s been accused of having ties to far-right extremist groups. While they officially reject these connections, there’s still plenty of overlap between the party’s base and more violent, extreme factions like the “Identitarian Movement.” In fact, some of the party’s online operations and messaging are eerily similar to the way far-right groups in the US have been able to spread their message online, through dark money, social media manipulation, and online trolling. So, what does all this mean? Well, the AFD is part of a much bigger global shift toward nationalism and populism, fuelled by fear and division. They’ve found a playbook that works, and they’re using it to rally people against immigrants, the EU, and so-called “liberal elites.” They’ve got help from people like Steve Bannon, who wants to see a global populist movement rise up, and they’re taking notes from similar far-right groups in the UK, the US, and other parts of Europe. 

So the AFD are far from just a German problem. They are part of a well-organised international collaborative of far-right movements. Jonathan Pie’s comparison to the Nazis sound a bit over the top, but they’re not entirely without merit. The AFD’s brand of nationalism, complete with anti-immigrant rhetoric and revisionist views of history, is dangerously close to some of the ideas that led to fascism in the past. So much so that as to date, none of the other German political parties are prepared to go into coalition with them. If anyone knows this playbook it’s Germany. 

While they might not be marching through the streets with swastikas and burning torches, [yet!] they’re definitely playing with fire. And that’s a warning we all need to pay attention to.