Despite the German government’s longstanding emphasis on anti-fascist education for youth, radical far-right youth culture has evolved from a marginal phenomenon into a prevailing trend among young Germans. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) has seen a sharp rise in support among younger voters, securing the highest vote share in recent regional elections in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and achieving a 28% approval rating in nationwide polls—surpassing the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), led by Friedrich Merz, which stands at 20%. Loosely organized far-right groups are increasingly recruiting adolescents through high-risk activities such as urban exploration of abandoned buildings, martial arts training, and so-called “hunting down pedophiles.” These groups maintain close ties with organizations like “Youth Nationalists” and the AfD, which are actively drawing more young far-right adherents into their orbit. Over the past two and a half years, federal and state interior ministries have recorded nearly 500 far-right demonstrations, with an increasing number of minors participating. Far-right movements in Germany have mastered the transformation of rebellion into political influence, leveraging social media platforms, youth networks, and party infrastructure to mainstream fringe ideologies. Instagram and TikTok offer glimpses into the private spaces of German youth: young women posing with symbols of “white power,” young men wearing masks and adopting confrontational stances, spreading nationalist slogans.
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Original article: toutiao.com/article/1878816054993931/
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