European Right-Wing Setting the Public Agenda, Study Reveals

Mainstream political parties are more and more enabling the radical right to dictate the political agenda, according to a recent study conducted in Germany.

Academics found that this trend has unwittingly benefited radical groups by legitimising their viewpoints and disseminating them more widely.

Study Drawing from Two Decades of News Reporting

The findings, published in the European Journal of Political Research, utilized an automated text analysis of over 520,000 news pieces from six national newspapers.

Berlin-based scholars observed that as the far right shifted from marginal topics in the 1990s era to central subjects like assimilation and immigration, mainstream political groups progressively adapted their messaging in response.

This adaptation amplified the spread of these concepts and signaled to the electorate that such positions were legitimate.

Implications for Democratic Systems

"Public discourse by mainstream political groups plays a central role in the electoral success of the far right," explained a political sociologist participating in the study.

"This element has been underestimated," she added.

The effect was evident even when conventional parties were condemning the far right. "They still receive focus," the expert remarked. "The main point is that because we live in such a struggle for visibility, this attention is crucial."

Normalisation Effect Throughout Europe

While the research was centered around the German context, this mainstreaming phenomenon is probable to affect nations throughout the European continent.

"You see this a lot in European news outlets," said another researcher. "Radical groups says something and everybody begins discussing it for one week."

"Although you're opposing it, you're repeating it," he stated.

Hardening of Public Discourse

At certain points, leaders have also toughened their language to align with that of the far right.

In a recently published discussion, a former national leader called for widespread expulsions and pushed for them to happen "more frequently and rapidly."

Similar examples can be found across Europe, as elected officials from countries including the United Kingdom to France embrace the language of the far right, especially on immigration.

This has created an feedback loop that was inconceivable a ten years prior.

Core Problem: Who Dictates the Agenda?

"{If you're a moderate political group and you are discussing societal topics – immigration, assimilation – in a way that is dictated by the rhythm of the radical right, that's the whole idea of narrative control," clarified a researcher.

Other political parties have taken additional measures, seeking to copy the hardline platform of the far right, even as research indicates that doing so leads the electorate to vote for the radical faction.

Progressive Impact and Public Perception

The scope of data gathered revealed that the impact of far-right parties had been gradual and had increased with the passage of time.

"Voter awareness doesn't change from day to day," stated a researcher. "However, when you encounter this pessimistic narrative around immigration every second week, and it is being disseminated not only by far-right parties but also, for example, by mainstream parties, then of course this storyline gains more traction."

Requirement for Mainstream Parties to Carve Out Their Distinct Discourses

The study emphasized the necessity for mainstream parties to develop their own discourses, especially on topics such as immigration and assimilation, rather than constantly trailing after the far right.

"It resembles a choreography," said one researcher. "If the conductor is radical and you're reacting to it, you cannot decide which music should be playing."