Leiden University Student Repository

Schumacher, Nelly Pauline (2024)

Developments of AfD Countering Strategies in the 20th Bundestag

Bachelor thesis | Politicologie (BSc)

With the rise of the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), established parties must decide on countering strategies against the populist radical right actor. While officially continuing a cordon sanitaire and criticizing its extremist policy positions, especially the Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands (CDU) increasingly cooperates with the far-right party on federal levels. Differentiating between dismissive, accommodative, and adversarial countering strategies, this paper investigates changes within the 20th Bundestag. It seeks greater differentiation between established parties and within tactics, as well as updating changing dynamics. The applied frame analysis indicates an overall shift towards accommodative strategies: parties increasingly converge their policy positions closer to the AfD. Such tactics are more prevalent among demand-side tactics and center-right parties. Niche and mainstream parties display little differences.

Countering Strategies

Alternative für Deutschland

Bundestag

Party Politics

Populist Radical Right Parties

Author

Schumacher, Nelly Pauline

Faculty

Faculty of Social & Behavioural Sciences

Specialisation

International Relations and Organisations

Supervisors

Theuns, T.

ECTS Credits

20

Language

en