Political extremism can be broadly defined as ideologies, attitudes, behaviors, and institutions that reject the principles of democracy and the rule of law. It operates against the democratic constitutional state, seeking to replace democratic governance with authoritarian systems. Extremist ideologies often reject fundamental democratic values such as equality, individual freedom, and mutual tolerance. Right-wing extremism is characterized by a hierarchical view of human worth, which typically promotes nativism, nationalism, and racial superiority. In contrast, left-wing extremism promotes the idea of total equality, often at the expense of individual freedom, aiming for authoritarian socialism.
Despite their ideological differences, left- and right-wing extremism share certain structural characteristics. Both seek to monopolize knowledge, claim absolute truth, and reject democratic pluralism. They advocate for a holistic and deterministic view of history, which typically results in a dualistic, “us versus them” approach to society. Both ideologies oppose institutions like the EU and the United States, and target globalization as a common enemy. Understanding these commonalities is crucial for addressing the broader spectrum of political extremism.
Prevalence of left- and right-wing extremist attitudes in Germany
The prevalence of left- and right-wing extremist attitudes has remained at similar levels over the years, with distinct regional variations between east and west Germany. Between 1994 and 2022, support for left-wing extremism remained relatively low, fluctuating between 1% and 3% in the West, and 3% to 7% in the East. Right-wing extremist attitudes followed a similar pattern, with 1% to 3% in west Germany and 2% to 6% in the East. The legacy of the former East Germany (GDR) plays a key role in the higher prevalence of extremism in the East, where political and economic hardships have left lingering dissatisfaction with democratic structures.
While overt political extremism is not widespread in Germany today, the existence of a latent structural potential for extremism remains concerning. This refers to underlying extremist tendencies within society that may not be immediately visible through electoral results but could be reflected in public opinion, social discontent, and radical populist narratives.
Factors causing political extremism
Several key factors contribute to the development of political extremism:
- Anomia: a sense of disconnection from society, where individuals feel overwhelmed by rapid changes and being unable to keep up
- Authoritarian personality traits: a preference for order, hierarchy, and submission to authority
- Economic and social deprivation: financial hardship, status loss, pessimistic expectations about the future, and relative deprivation
- Local context: the prevalence of extremist ideas in a person’s immediate social or geographical context
- Extremist attitudes are highly stable once formed, making early intervention critical. Since these views are unlikely to change without significant long-term efforts, it is essential to prevent the spread of extremist ideologies before they take root.
Implications
To effectively mitigate political extremism, practitioners must understand the long-term structural potential of extremist ideas and work towards addressing the underlying causes. Key strategies for practitioners include:
- Economic and political security: reducing financial insecurity is important, but equally crucial is rebuilding political trust. Citizens must feel that their concerns are acknowledged and acted upon through responsive, people-oriented policies.
- Strengthening democratic norms: political actors must uphold not only legal democratic norms but also “soft guardrails” like mutual toleration and institutional restraint. Erosion of these norms, as seen in countries like Hungary and Poland, leads to authoritarianism.
- Community-level interventions: extremist ideas often take root locally. Engaging communities through dialogue, increasing political participation, and offering platforms to voice concerns constructively can counter this trend.
- Monitoring extremism: vigilant monitoring of public sentiment and socio-political developments will allow policymakers to address potential threats early, preventing extremist ideas from spreading.
Political extremism in Germany remains a latent but persistent threat. While the overall levels of support for extremist ideologies are currently low, the structural potential for radicalism and extremism exists, particularly in east Germany. To address this challenge, practitioners must focus on both short-term interventions and long-term strategies aimed at fostering political trust, improving economic security, and strengthening democratic institutions. By doing so, it may be possible to mitigate the factors that fuel political extremism and safeguard democracy from further polarization and radicalization.
Sebastian Jungkunz
Post-Doctoral Researcher
University of Bonn
Germany
