Young and radical – Why right-wing populism is on the rise | DW Documentary
There has recently been a trend in elections in Europe: young voters are turning to right-wing populist and right-wing extremist parties. Why is this happening?
In the Netherlands researchers say it was 18-34 year olds who helped the right-wing populist Geert Wilders to victory in the parliamentary elections. In Italy too, the Brothers of Italy, a party that is considered post-fascist, is in power. In Germany, there will be an early federal election at the end of February. According to surveys, the AfD, parts of which have been classified as right-wing extremist, has a good chance of significantly increasing its share of the vote. The renowned youth researcher Prof. Klaus Hurrelmann says that the success of such parties is also due to their aggressive advertising towards young voters in the digital sphere. In their report, Alexandra von Nahmen and Finlay Duncan examine the question of what else makes radical parties so attractive to young people that they end up voting for them.
00:00 Introduction
00:49 Rome – Why are young people fans of fascism?
02:50 Rome – At the HQ of Forza Nouva
04:00 An expert’s take – Prof Hurrelmann
04:42 Netherlands – A dinner party with right-populists
07:00 Netherlands – How right-wing populists use social media
08:41 Germany – Protests against Alternative of Germany
09:20 Germany – Inside an AfD rally
10:47 Simple answers to complex issues?
#documentary #dwdocumentary #dwdocs #reporter #politics #elections #europe
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Video “Young and radical – Why right-wing populism is on the rise | DW Documentary” was uploaded on 02/10/2025 by DW Documentary Youtube channel.
It is a shame for a young person to be a fascist or even a conservative. Hear us G. B. Shaw.
Kurdish for dutch, uzbek for germans. Europe is really a joke
All those bad right wingers! Unlike the left wingers sending our tax dollars to fake asylum seekers… last week $59 million from FEMA… such hypocrites! If you care about global warming, you blame western culture, but then import more people here to contribute more to carbon emissions… it’s heating our houses in cold areas that is the biggest contributor to carbon emissions but you want to bring more people here because they are suffering from climate change? What? The left wing has no logic behind anything they say. They are the extremists that lie to our faces.
Never fails to surprise that the first generation children of immigrants would be loudly shouting for national identity and foreigners. If there had been a govt in charge in Germany with the views of this Kurdish lady, her family would never have been allowed in the country in the first place.
I have always been intrigued by immigrants and descendants of immigrants-living their best life in a Western Country, because they were allowed the opportunity-and yet they are now,well-at the forefront of hating immigrants.
Don't underestimate the youngsters. They are smarter then us. Being a right winger today is progressive. As being a leftist was progressive 100 years ago, when workers had to work for 16 hours a day without any social security. Leftists and their policies are giving are Western democracy away for free. To the people who are ready and willing to take it over due to us being nice to everybody who comes to live among us. We are not equal, nor are all cultures equal. Non Westerners are in average more primitive minded, being only realistic here, no nationalistic or racist ideology involved. We accepted many of 3rd world progressives decades ago, when they had to flee the crazy autocratic regimes, most known probably Salman Rushdie. Now they are saying they do not feel safe anymore here in Western hemisphere. Why? Because the ones who blindly followed their oppressors are being exported to our societies. To change us and conquer our society. Salman, for example, is most hated in Western muslim societies, too. They do not share our values, that is reality. That is why youngsters want to do something about. While we still are weighing multiple factors and pro/con arguments. Sorry, not much more time we have left for inefficient public debates and dialogs, time to do something about the problem.
Such biased reporting
The left-wing legacy media, including international outlets like Deutsche Welle, plays a pivotal role in shaping public perception by selectively framing events, promoting progressive narratives, and downplaying left-wing extremism. By amplifying right-wing failures while minimizing left-wing violence and radicalism, these media outlets contribute to a biased understanding of global political issues, deepening societal divisions and undermining balanced discourse. The consistent use of biased language not only misinforms the public but reveals an agenda to manipulate perceptions, turning journalism into propaganda. A truly objective media should expose extremism on both sides of the political spectrum, but the current legacy media landscape often falls short of this standard.
Legacy media like DW frequently emphasize crises—whether related to climate change, systemic racism, or economic inequality—that align with progressive priorities. While these are legitimate concerns, the alarmist framing often suggests that only progressive solutions are valid, while conservative viewpoints are framed as regressive or dangerous. DW and similar outlets regularly paint the right as inherently dangerous or backward, linking mainstream conservative policies to fascism, racism, or authoritarianism. This broad-brush approach demonizes ordinary conservatives and stigmatizes dissent, fostering an environment where political discourse becomes increasingly polarized.
As an international broadcaster, DW’s framing has an outsized impact on how global audiences perceive political issues, particularly those involving Europe and Western liberal democracies. By selectively highlighting right-wing threats while downplaying left-wing extremism, DW contributes to a global narrative that vilifies conservative movements while sanitizing radical leftist actions.
While it is important to report on genuine threats from far-right movements, legacy media like DW often disproportionately focuses on right-wing failures, scandals, or controversial figures, reinforcing a narrative that right-wing politics are inherently dangerous. For example, DW has extensively covered right-wing populist movements in Europe, like Marine Le Pen’s National Rally in France or Viktor Orbán’s government in Hungary, often framing them in alarmist terms as threats to democracy. However, left-wing authoritarian regimes outside of Latin America, such as the Soviet Union under Stalin, China under Mao Zedong, Cambodia under Pol Pot, and Eastern European communist states like East Germany (GDR), receive less frequent and less critical coverage in terms of their ideological roots. These regimes were responsible for mass repression, political purges, and human rights abuses, yet their leftist ideological foundations are often underemphasized compared to how far-right regimes are discussed.
It's quite disturbing indeed
STOP THE GASLIGHTING! WANTING PEOPLE IN YOUR COUNTRY TO RESPECT YOUR CULTURE AND SPEAK YOUR LANGUAGE ISN'T A RADICAL OPINION
What motivates people to vote for far-left radical populists? Surely DW wouldn't do an equavalent doc on that…
And now do a documentary about cr!m3 in Western Europe
I guess the native Americans were far right too
I heard Right wing excrements. Did I hear that correctly? 🤔
Obvious result. The extreme left went too far… Freedom and freeloading are very different.
European Nationalist should stop supporting foreign industries buy ceasing the purchase of foreign goods. No sugar, no tea, no Coffee, No chocolate, Veg grown or handled by foreigners. Buy local, eat and drink local. No coffee, tea, chocolate or veg from foreign lands. 👀🧐🤨🤔
no muslims in europe. simple.
You should do a segment on the rife of far left populism as well..
Far right extremists 😱
Sad. Growing up, I thought young people would be more inclusive. I understand a lot of left wing parties betrayed young people, but choosing right wing extremism isn’t the answer. Liberalism isn’t about a person, or party, it’s an ideal.
This is clearly a left wing channel that by their bias is actually supporting the right, we are not that stupid anymore. 😊
Don’t label them as radicals and far right, most of it is just common sense ‼️
Profound ignorance a generation on pills and pampered by mommy and daddy. Weak , lazy,ignorant.
Fascism is weak. That's why they lost world war 2. 🤣🤣😂😂