🔗 Share this article

Established political parties are increasingly enabling the radical right to set the political agenda, as per a new research conducted in the Federal Republic of Germany.

Academics found that this trend has inadvertently benefited far-right groups by validating their ideas and spreading them to a broader audience.

Study Based on Two Decades of News Coverage

The results, published in the European Journal of Political Research, relied on an automated text analysis of over 520,000 news pieces from a half-dozen national newspapers.

Capital-based scholars noted that as the far right moved from fringe issues in the 1990s era to central subjects like integration and immigration, established parties progressively adapted their messaging in response.

This adjustment boosted the dissemination of these ideas and signaled to voters that such positions were acceptable.

Implications for Democracy

"Political communication by established political groups is crucial in the voting performance of the radical right," stated a political sociologist involved in the study.

"This factor has been overlooked," she added.

The effect was evident even when conventional parties were criticising the far right. "You're still giving them attention," the researcher commented. "Our core argument is that because we live in such a battle for attention, this attention is key."

Mainstreaming Phenomenon Throughout Europe

While the research was focused on Germany, this normalisation effect is probable to affect countries throughout Europe.

"This is frequently observed in European media," explained another co-author. "The far right says something and everyone starts talking about it for one week."

"Even if you're opposing it, you're repeating it," he stated.

Hardening of Political Discourse

At certain points, leaders have also toughened their language to align with that of the far right.

In a recent interview, a former national leader advocated widespread deportations and urged them to happen "more frequently and rapidly."

Comparable examples can be found throughout the continent, as politicians from countries ranging from the UK to the French Republic embrace the rhetoric of the far right, especially on immigration.

This has formed an feedback loop that would have been inconceivable a decade ago.

Central Issue: Who Dictates the Narrative?

"{If you're a centrist party and you are talking about societal topics – migration, integration – in a way that is dictated by the rhythm of the far right, that's the essence of narrative control," clarified a researcher.

Some political parties have taken additional measures, seeking to copy the strict agenda of the radical right, even as studies suggests that this approach drives the electorate to vote for the far right.

Gradual Influence and Voter Awareness

The scope of data collected showed that the impact of radical groups had been gradual and had increased with the passage of time.

"Voter awareness doesn't change from day to day," commented a co-author. "But if you encounter this pessimistic narrative around immigration every second week, and it is being disseminated not only by radical groups but also, for instance, by mainstream parties, then of course this narrative travels further."

Requirement for Mainstream Parties to Develop Their Distinct Discourses

The study highlighted the necessity for established political parties to carve out their own discourses, particularly on topics such as immigration and integration, instead of continuously following the far right.

"It resembles a choreography," explained one author. "When the leader is radical and you're responding to them, you lose the ability to choose which tune should be heard."