🔗 Share this article

Mainstream political parties are increasingly enabling the far right to dictate the public discourse, as per a new study conducted in Germany.

Academics discovered that this phenomenon has unwittingly benefited radical groups by validating their viewpoints and spreading them to a broader audience.

Analysis Drawing from Two Decades of News Reporting

The findings, 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.

Berlin-based scholars noted that as the far right shifted from marginal topics in the 1990s era to core subjects like assimilation and migration, established parties increasingly adapted their communication in reaction.

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

Consequences for Democratic Systems

"Political communication by established parties is crucial in the electoral success of the radical right," stated a expert in political behavior participating in the research.

"This element has been overlooked," she added.

The effect was evident even when conventional parties were criticising the radical faction. "They still receive focus," the researcher commented. "Our core argument is that because we live in such a battle for attention, this attention is key."

Normalisation Phenomenon Across Europe

While the research was centered around Germany, this normalisation effect is probable to apply to countries throughout Europe.

"You see this a lot in German and British media," explained another co-author. "The far right says something and everyone begins discussing it for one week."

"Although you're opposing it, you're repeating it," he stated.

Toughening of Political Discourse

At certain points, leaders have also hardened their language to match that of the far right.

In a recent discussion, a former German chancellor advocated large-scale expulsions and pushed for them to happen "more frequently and rapidly."

Similar examples can be observed throughout Europe, as politicians from countries including the UK to France embrace the rhetoric of the far right, especially on migration.

This has created an feedback loop that was inconceivable a decade ago.

Central Problem: Who Sets the Narrative?

"{If you're a centrist party and you are discussing cultural issues – immigration, assimilation – in a way that is determined by the pace of the radical right, that's the essence of agenda setting," explained a researcher.

Other political parties have gone one step further, seeking to copy the hardline agenda of the radical right, even as studies indicates that doing so leads voters to vote for the far right.

Progressive Impact and Public Perception

The scope of information gathered revealed that the influence of far-right groups had been gradual and had grown with the passage of time.

"Voter awareness doesn't change from day to day," stated a co-author. "However, when you hear this pessimistic narrative around migration every second week, and it is being spread not only by far-right parties but also, for example, by established political organizations, then of course this storyline gains more traction."

Need for Established Parties to Develop Their Distinct Discourses

The research emphasized the need for mainstream political parties to develop their own narratives, especially on topics such as migration and integration, instead of constantly trailing after the far right.

"It resembles a choreography," said one author. "When the leader is far-right and you're reacting to it, you cannot decide which tune should be heard."