Right trend in Europe: AfD and FPÖ demand and influence!

On January 8, 2025, the “Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung” commented on the current political situation in Europe, especially with regard to the growing influence of right-wing parties. According to the report, citizens in various European countries, including the Netherlands, Italy and Austria, are increasingly supporting parties that are referred to as fascist. Geert Wilders from the Netherlands, Giorgia Meloni from Italy and the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) are not in public perception for a glorification of the Nazi Germany and are also not committed to the abolition of democracy and the rule of law.

The German alternative for Germany (AfD), however, has right -wing extremist tendencies in its national associations and the youth organization and strives for seizure. The existing coalition of the bourgeois ÖVP in Vienna with the FPÖ is viewed by the "Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung" as not comparable to a possible opening of the Union to the AfD.

Similar tendencies at FPÖ and AfD

Another report by Kosmo addresses the influence of right parties such as the FPÖ and the AfD, which increase in particular in elections and surveys. The FPÖ recently won the National Council election in Austria, while the AfD shows similar potential in Germany. There are growing demands for party bans for both the AfD and the FPÖ, while in cities and Vienna there are demonstrations for a ban on the FPÖ.

The two parties use similar topics and address dissatisfied citizens by criticizing the government and the EU. Common issues include migration, corona measures, climate policy and social and foreign policy issues. The AfD was founded in 2013 as a euro -critical movement and has developed in a right -wing populist and right -wing extremist direction since 2014, while the FPÖ was founded in the 1950s and partly comprises members with a National Socialist background.

In the perception of the public, the FPÖ shows homophobers than the AfD. While Alice Weidel is perceived by the AfD as moderate and lives in a same-sex partnership, Herbert Kickl from the FPÖ includes a critical attitude towards the LGBTQ+community. Both parties often prefer an economic liberal course and support cuts in social benefits and skepticism compared to the energy transition. They also reject the introduction of an inheritance and property tax.

The significant difference between the two parties is in its government responsibility: While the FPÖ has already been part of the Austrian federal government three times and is currently represented in state governments, the AfD has not yet taken over any government responsibility in Germany. According to current surveys, the AfD in Saxony is around 35 percent, but all important parties in Germany reject coalitions with the AfD. In contrast, the FPÖ is willing to enter into coalitions with the SPÖ and the ÖVP in Austria.