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AfD victory, German political scientist: We will have to live with populism for another 20-30 years, but these are extremists

2026-09-07 20:00:35Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
AfD victory, German political scientist: We will have to live with populism for
AfD victory in Germany

German-American political scientist Yascha Mounk, in an interview with La Repubblica, talks about the rise of populism and the far right in Europe, focusing in particular on the victory of the AfD (Alternative für Deutschland) in Saxony-Anhalt. Mounk, a professor at Johns Hopkins University and a renowned researcher of populism and democracy, analyzes the reasons that are pushing more and more citizens to vote for radical right-wing parties.

"The elections in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt and the victory of the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) confirm this: we will have to learn to coexist with populism and the far right, at least for the next 20 or 30 years."

This is stated by German-American political scientist and intellectual Yascha Mounk, 44, a professor at Johns Hopkins University in Washington and founder of the magazine "Persuasion", which defends free societies.

Mounk was born and raised in Germany, in Munich.

Half of his mother's family was killed during the Holocaust. He jokingly calls himself a "populist hipster" because he studied populism long ago, when many of his colleagues still underestimated the threat, before populism became a major topic.

Mounk gave this interview before a debate in London on the state of democracy in the West and its weakness. Another well-known scholar, Francis Fukuyama, also participated in the debate.

Mounk, in the end the AfD triumphed in Saxony-Anhalt!

"Germany thought it had a healthy democracy and that it was special, even protected from right-wing extremism, also because of its history. But that's not the case. This election is the ultimate proof."

This is a very important moment for Germany and German politics, because the AfD is, in many respects, more extreme than other right-wing parties in Europe, such as the Rassemblement National in France, Farage's party in the United Kingdom or even Meloni's party in Italy.

It is no coincidence that Marine Le Pen, years ago, broke off cooperation with the AfD and its leader, Alice Weidel. For this reason, a true union of these parties at the European level is, for the time being, still impossible.”

In what ways is the AfD more extreme than other right-wing parties in Europe?

"They are much more against the European Union, immigration and the idea of ​​a multi-ethnic nation."

"They are also more inclined towards revising history. There are even groups within the party that try to present Nazism in a more positive light."

Why do Germans vote for the AfD?

"Because they are dissatisfied with the traditional parties. In Germany, the Christian Democrats (CDU), under Angela Merkel, pursued a very moderate and centrist policy. This caused a large part of conservative voters to leave them."

Then there are other problems. The German economic model, which in the past worked very well, is today on the verge of a major crisis.

Also, the long-term consequences of the millions of migrants that Germany accepted in 2015 must be considered.

"So the CDU left a lot of space on the right of German politics. The AfD took advantage of this space, even though it is such an extreme party that it has not managed to capture all of this electorate."

So, could the AfD grow even more if it moderated its stances?

"We'll see. The case of Saxony-Anhalt shows that, if the face of the party is someone like the candidate for governor, Ulrich Siegmund, who is almost unknown and relatively more moderate and acceptable to the public, the party's potential can increase."

In this way, the AfD can attract more moderate voters and isolate the more extremist currents within it.”

If the AfD came to power, would it become less extremist, as has happened with some populist parties in Europe, or would it maintain its radicalism, like Trump in the White House?

"Many extremist parties in Europe have softened over time. For example, the Sweden Democrats were once very close to neo-Nazi ideology, but today they are no longer so."

Meloni is also an example. Her party had a neo-fascist past, but today it supports the United States and Ukraine.

The AfD, by contrast, has moved in the opposite direction. It was originally founded as a party of economists who opposed the euro, but then far-right groups gained influence within it.

"However, after the victory in Saxony-Anhalt, the story could change. Siegmund could manage to attract a larger share of the moderate electorate."

Are you predicting that populism and the far right could soon dominate Europe?

"If Le Pen and Bardella were to win in France, it would be a major advance for the right and a major shock for Europe."

I wrote about populism at a time when many people underestimated the danger. For this reason, every choice is often considered decisive, even if it later turns out not to be so.

We must learn to coexist with populism, because it will continue to be present for at least 20 or 30 years. It has already become one of the great ideological families of Western democracies.

However, I do not believe that the West is facing a choice that will determine its existence.”

But, for example, Trump's populism is having visible, perhaps even permanent, consequences, especially in foreign policy.

"It's true. Right-wing populism, when it comes to power, can be mitigated, but it can also cause a lot of damage."

"If we want to talk about the end of the West as we know it today, then we must say that the old rules of politics are disappearing, institutions are in danger, and cultural conflicts will increase in European countries."

All populist movements in Europe benefit from the issue of illegal and irregular immigration, while they seem to be weaker on other important topics, such as the economy. If traditional parties were to solve the problem of migratory flows, would populism and the far right weaken?

"I don't believe they would disappear. But they would certainly become much weaker."

"If the state is unable to solve the problems related to immigration, many people perceive it as a weak state. For this reason, they may decide to trust extremist forces."


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