A new study by the Konrad-Adenauer Foundation, a think tank closely associated with the German Christian Democratic Union (CDU), cautions against collaborations with the Alternative for Germany (AfD) and urges a nuanced assessment of right-populist parties across Europe. The study, reported by Süddeutsche Zeitung, analyzes diverse right-populist movements, categorizing them into three distinct groups based on their ideologies and approaches.
The foundation’s analysis critiques a blanket response to right-populist parties, highlighting their varying characteristics and emphasizing the need for tailored strategies. The first group identified comprises moderate right-populist parties, which often demonstrate a tendency towards rhetorical moderation when involved in government or sharing responsibility in governance. Italy’s Fratelli d’Italia party, led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, is cited as an example of this phenomenon.
A second category includes nationalist right-populist parties, such as France’s Rassemblement National and Spain’s Vox. The foundation notes that the outcomes of interactions with these parties are highly context-dependent. In Spain, the Partido Popular (PP) has reportedly managed to limit Vox’s influence, framing their messaging to address citizen concerns while discouraging voters from supporting radical leadership. Any collaborations with Vox have been undertaken under PP control, resulting in limited influence for Vox and a decline in its public support.
However, the study emphasizes a firm rejection of collaborations with a third group: parties exhibiting authoritarian-right populist and far-right tendencies. These groups are characterized by a stance of systemic opposition, a rejection of core principles of liberal democracy and a frequent adoption of pro-Russian foreign policy positions alongside an aversion to the European Union.
The Konrad-Adenauer Foundation’s assessment is unequivocal: collaboration with these parties is not permissible. The AfD, it asserts, belongs to this latter category, noting that previous attempts to “tame” such parties through collaboration have often resulted in the weakening of European People’s Party (EVP) member parties.
Former Bundestag President and current chairman of the Konrad-Adenauer Foundation, Norbert Lammert, echoed the study’s conclusions, stating that parties of the “bourgeois center” often inadvertently legitimize and increase the appeal of right-populist movements through engagement. He suggested that a party’s position on the EU, Ukraine and the rule of law offered a more effective framework for evaluating potential partnerships. According to Lammert, these three criteria provide a “richer” assessment than initially assumed and the AfD unquestionably fails to meet them.