Understanding the Reemergence of Right-Wing Extremism in Germany

Authors

• John WardlawFollow

Files

Date of Graduation

5-2026

Description

My thesis examines the growing popularity of the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), Germany’s leading radical-right-positioned party, in the context of broader ideological shifts in post-war Europe. The AfD’s rise reflects a shift from the cosmopolitan ideals that dominated the mid- to late-twentieth-century Europe toward a resurgence in national populism, reminiscent of the late-nineteenth-century political currents that shaped pre-war Europe. To analyze this phenomenon, I turn to Dr. Girija Mookerjee’s four-principle problems framework: the problem of national unity, the extent of popular participation, state participation in a global setting, and the socioeconomic problems found alongside industrialization. While Dr. Mookerjee’s work was conducted in the mid-twentieth century, his principal framework remains relevant today. With this framework in mind, Germany’s rightward political shift may be best understood as the culmination of external pressures, such as post-war supranational institutions, compounded with an internal philosophical inquiry over what it means to be German. Additionally, I argue that the AfD exploits the nuanced relationship between German identity and international relations through deliberate rhetoric and actions to polarize voters and undermine the democratic idealism of Germany’s Basic Law (Grundgesetz). My interest in the Alternative für Deutschland rests on the exponential growth it has experienced both in popularity and influence in the last election cycle, represented by the seats it has won in provincial parliamentary elections. As national populism takes root in the Eastern German states (former DDR-states), further radicalization in both economic theory and Euroscepticism is liable to sweep through the country. If this rightward shift is left without remedy, the threat of adverse German isolationism, including but not limited to the departure from the European Union (EU), becomes further salient.

Publication Date

2026

Document Type

Book

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts in International and Global Studies

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

World Languages, Literatures and Cultures

Advisor/Mentor

Hagen, Alexandra

Disciplines

Arts and Humanities

Keywords

Social Science

Citation

Wardlaw, J. (2026). Understanding the Reemergence of Right-Wing Extremism in Germany. 2026 Research Poster Competition. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/hnrcsturpc26/52