The new faces of Europe's far right • FRANCE 24 English

Overview

The report examines how newer far-right parties in Spain, Germany and Italy are attracting younger supporters despite their countries’ histories of dictatorship. The parties present themselves as distinct from fascism. Some draw on nostalgia for a stronger national past, while emphasizing current concerns such as economic hardship, national identity and opposition to government policies.

Country Profiles

Germany

Marie-Thérèse Kaiser, a young AfD parliamentary assistant and social-media personality, uses polished online content to promote the party. She describes herself as feminine but not feminist and says migration motivated her to join. After her home was graffitied with anti-Nazi messages, she argued that historical guilt contributes to the AfD being demonized.

Another young activist, Jean-Pascal Hohm, helped organize protests against immigration and Covid measures. He saw them as a way to broaden the party’s appeal beyond its usual anti-immigration message.

Italy

Brothers of Italy activist Fabrizio Busnengo focuses on rising bills and families’ declining purchasing power. The party promotes a nationalist, Christian identity and seeks to distinguish its current politics from Italy’s fascist past.

Some young supporters, however, express little discomfort with that history; one praises Mussolini’s housing policies. The report says the party had reached 20% in opinion polls at the time.

Spain

Vox, then the third-largest force in parliament, has expanded its appeal through its Solidaridad union, which emphasizes workers’ rights, reindustrialization and Spanish sovereignty. The union says it has attracted 13,000 members.

Vox’s online reach is especially strong: its Instagram account had more than 610,000 followers, compared with 119,000 for the governing Socialists.

Wider Themes

The report highlights social media as a way for far-right parties to bypass traditional media and reach younger audiences. It also notes that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has prompted some far-right figures to distance themselves from earlier pro-Putin positions.

In Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez criticized Vox’s leader for distinguishing between “deserving” and “non-deserving” refugees, amid broad sympathy for Ukrainians fleeing the war.

Presenters and Contributors

The programme presenter is not named in the subtitles. Sarah Morris reports and is interviewed. The report’s contributors are Céline Schmitt, Armelle Exposito, Anne Mailliet, Louise Malnoy and Lorenza Pensa.