Young voters: AfD is booming despite fears about the future and disillusionment with politics!

Young voters: AfD is booming despite fears about the future and disillusionment with politics!

In a dramatic political incident on December 27, 2024, the Socialist Youth was criticized for their recent acts of vandalism. Michael Sommer, the FPÖ city party leader in Hollabrunn, vehemently condemned the recent attacks on his party's showcases. "Instead of accepting democratic election results, the left-wing Socialist Youth resorts to the anti-democratic instrument of property damage. This shows the pure desperation of the left," explained Sommer. He emphasized that the FPÖ puts the will of the voters first, while the Socialist Youth and the Marxist Babler-SPÖ are not prepared to respect the wishes of the population. “Unless the left learns not to encroach on the property of their political competitors, they are unlikely to win elections,” he added, underscoring the drama of the political dispute.

Young people and their political preferences

These incidents are in the context of an alarming development among young people in Germany. According to a study from April 2024, the AfD has overtaken the Greens as the most popular party among young voters between the ages of 14 and 29. The study shows that many young voters are frustrated and disappointed with the current political situation, which is reflected in an increasing leaning towards the AfD, which has right-wing populist and nationalist positions. This political trend meets the feeling of powerlessness of many young people who move in a country that is characterized by constant crises. This dissatisfaction with the political establishment is the breeding ground in which the AfD thrives, offering simple solutions to complex problems that seem tempting to many.

A central motive for the AfD's electorate is the fear among young people about the future and their own economic security. Many young adults feel as if their fears are being ignored by the state. “Young people’s trust in established parties has noticeably decreased,” says the analysis. The AfD has understood how to act in this gap and specifically addresses people who feel forgotten by the political system. In this way, the AfD underlines its influence and reaches an audience that looks for confirmation of its own fears on social media and prefers simple messages, even if these are often unrealistic, as [taz.de] reported.