A new study by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a think tank closely associated with the German CDU party, cautions against collaborations with the Alternative for Germany (AfD) and highlights the complexities of engaging with various right-wing populist movements across Europe. The study, detailed in a report by “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, emphasizes that a uniform approach is insufficient, arguing that right-wing populist parties exhibit significant variances requiring nuanced assessments.
The foundation identifies three distinct categories. The first comprises moderately right-wing populist parties, for whom participation in government or shared responsibility often leads to rhetorical moderation. The Italian “Fratelli d’Italia”, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, is cited as an example of this development.
A second category encompasses nationalist-right-wing populist parties, including France’s “Rassemblement National” and Spain’s “Vox”. The study’s assessment of these groups varies depending on the national context. In Spain, the conservative Popular Party (PP) has reportedly been successful in curbing “Vox’s” influence by effectively addressing citizen concerns while preventing the party’s radical leaders from gaining prominence. Collaborations have occurred within a PP-led framework, with “Vox” receiving secondary governmental roles and experiencing a subsequent decline in public support.
The third and most concerning category consists of authoritarian-right-wing populist and far-right parties. These groups are characterized by a posture of opposition to the political system, rejection of core principles of liberal democracy and a tendency towards pro-Russian foreign policy positions coupled with Euroscepticism.
The Konrad Adenauer Foundation’s clear recommendation is to refrain from cooperation with this third category. The AfD is specifically identified as a representative of this type of party and the study contends that collaborations rarely lead to the desired “taming” of such parties, often instead contributing to the weakening of center-right political forces.
Norbert Lammert, former President of the German Parliament and current Chair of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, echoed this sentiment in comments to “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, stating that collaborations between centrist parties and populist factions often inadvertently legitimize and enhance the appeal of those populist forces.
The foundation proposes utilizing a three-pronged assessment – a party’s stance on the European Union, its position regarding Ukraine and its commitment to the rule of law – as particularly revealing indicators and argues that any party failing to meet these criteria should not be considered a potential partner for center-right parties. The AfD, according to the foundation, demonstrably fails to satisfy these criteria.
