Growth of Right Extremism in Germany Since 2017

Since 2017, right-wing extremism has intensified in Germany, manifesting both in surging electoral support for extremist parties and in a rising number of hate crimes and extremist incidents across the country. The Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), which entered the Bundestag for the first time in 2017, has rapidly transitioned from a marginal eurosceptic voice into a dominant force of far-right populism, capturing the second-largest share of parliamentary seats in the 2025 federal election—about 20% nationally—with even greater strength in eastern Germany, where it has approached or even surpassed 30% of the vote in states like Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg.

Parallel to the AfD's rise, statistics reveal a significant escalation in right-wing extremist incidents and violence, including attacks against marginalized groups—particularly immigrants, ethnic minorities, and LGBTQAI+ persons. Registered right-wing extremist offenses jumped markedly after 2017, with authorities noting more than 32,000 identified extremists by 2019 and thousands of violent crimes motivated by far-right ideology each year. The normalization and mainstreaming of far-right discourse have been further accelerated by social media amplification, with conspiracy theories, anti-immigrant rhetoric, and explicit antimodern values increasingly permeating political debates and public life.

Influence of Trumpism on Right-Wing Populism in Germany

The growth of right-wing extremism in Germany is closely intertwined with the influence of Trumpism—a brand of right-wing populism marked by anti-establishment rhetoric, aggressive nativism, disdain for liberal democracy, and a performative approach to politics. Donald Trump's election in the U.S. and his subsequent policies and communication style provided both a role model and ideological legitimacy for the German far right, particularly the AfD.

AfD leaders were early and enthusiastic supporters of Trump, viewing his victory as proof that populist rhetoric and nationalist ideas could overturn entrenched political establishments. The ideological parallels are clear: both AfD and Trump proclaim themselves as the authentic “voice of the people” against corrupt elites, both focus on immigration as an existential issue, and both leverage social divisions to mobilize support. This transatlantic alignment is not merely abstract; American figures associated with Trump, like billionaire Elon Musk and Vice President JD Vance, have publicly endorsed the AfD, boosting both its domestic profile and its claims to international relevance. Musk notably hosted AfD leader Alice Weidel for a live conversation and used his platform to urge Germans to vote for the AfD.

The AfD has adopted and adapted many of the discursive weapons of Trumpism, including aggressive “anti-woke” campaigns, skepticism of mainstream media, and fears of societal collapse, while simultaneously painting itself as Germany’s only bulwark against “globalist” and “liberal” decay.

The Rise and Influence of AfD in Germany

The AfD’s trajectory since 2017 is marked by increasing electoral power and a radicalization of its platform. What began as a party focusing primarily on opposition to the Eurozone bailouts quickly shifted to an aggressively anti-immigrant and nativist stance in response to the 2015 refugee crisis. In successive federal and state elections, the AfD managed to broaden its voter base, becoming the dominant political force in much of the East and the official opposition in the Bundestag by 2025.

Key factors in the AfD’s rise include socio-economic grievances in former East Germany, a sense of disenchantment with reunification outcomes, and intensified fears about immigration and cultural change. Additionally, the AfD has made strategic use of nationalist rhetoric, combining “civic” nationalism with more traditional ethnonationalist sentiments, and exploiting public dissatisfaction with mainstream parties.

The party is not just a protest vehicle; it now possesses substantial power in state parliaments, impacts the tone of public discourse, and has forced establishment parties to consider, if not actual coalitions, at least tactical collaborations, particularly around issues such as migration. AfD-run municipalities and state legislatures have introduced policies restricting inclusive language, rolling back diversity programs, and curtailing LGBTQAI+ protections.

AfD’s Alliance and Relationship with Viktor Orbán

A pivotal development in the AfD’s growing stature is the deepening relationship with Viktor Orbán, Hungary’s long-serving right-wing populist Prime Minister. Orbán has emerged as a leading figure among Europe’s nationalist and illiberal leaders, actively building networks with like-minded parties across the continent. His embrace of the AfD in 2025—inviting Alice Weidel to Budapest and publicly declaring the AfD “the future of Germany”—marked a symbolic and strategic break with previous European taboos against legitimizing the German far right.

The connection is more than symbolic: Orbán and the AfD explicitly align on anti-immigration policies, Euroscepticism, skepticism toward “woke” ideology, and support for strong national sovereignty. Both denounce current European Union policies, critique the bloc’s migration and climate agenda, and advocate for restrictive border controls and a rollback of supranational authority. Orbán praised every major point of the AfD’s program as beneficial for Hungary, while Weidel called Hungary “a symbol of reason and independence,” openly stating that her party aspires to follow Orbán’s path.

This relationship, further consolidated by mutual public endorsements and high-profile meetings, positions the AfD as part of a transnational network of right-wing forces intent on reshaping the European political landscape and exerting pressure on mainstream conservative parties to shift further right.

Impact of Right Extremism on the LGBTQAI+ Community

The expansion of right-wing extremism in Germany has brought mounting threats and harm to the LGBTQAI+ community, both through the normalization of exclusionary rhetoric and the direct rollback of rights. The AfD, despite being headed by an openly lesbian leader, is the most prominent political force campaigning against LGBTQ rights in federal parliament. Its platform calls for the repeal of marriage equality, revocation of transgender self-identification laws, and bans on gender-affirming care for minors.

Far-right rhetoric brands concepts such as inclusive education and gender diversity as dangerous “ideology,” fueling a climate where hate speech and violence against queer individuals are normalized and, increasingly, acted upon. In 2023, anti-LGBTQ hate crimes in Germany surged, with offenses against trans persons up 105% and crimes based on sexual orientation rising by 49%. Activists report a tangible rise in physical attacks on Pride marches, online harassment, and threats to safe spaces—challenges reminiscent of past eras of state-sanctioned persecution.

This erosion of protections is not limited to legislation; it is reinforced by coordinated public campaigns and the mainstreaming of anti-queer narratives, making it “more dangerous to be visibly queer and to do activism”. The overlap of AfD agendas with those of conservative establishment parties in certain state governments—especially regarding efforts to roll back trans rights or restrict inclusive language—heightens fears of broader national regression.

Right Extremism and the Threat to Equal Rights

The far-right’s ascendance in Germany has translated into a sweeping threat to equal rights, affecting not only LGBTQAI+ persons but a spectrum of marginalized communities. AfD and its allies channel discontent about economic malaise, migration, and “cultural loss” into opposition to diversity, gender equality, and minority protections]. Their influence is evident in legislative initiatives targeting trans rights, same-sex marriage, equal parenting, and even anti-discrimination funding.

This has produced a chilling effect on public discourse, emboldened hate groups, and prompted mainstream politicians to toughen stances on social issues, such as migration policy and gender affirming care, to retain or regain populist voters. The normalization of far-right speech in state and municipal governments is, for many, a harbinger of potential democratic backsliding, as legal reforms designed to protect the marginalized are now openly debated for revocation.

Comparative Analysis: Right Extremism Prior to World War II

The historical parallels with the growth of far-right extremism before the Second World War under Hitler are sobering. In the 1920s–1930s, economic crises, social upheaval, and a fragmented political system enabled the Nazis and other fascist forces to mobilize mass support, gaining votes by exploiting national humiliation, anti-Semitism, and anti-liberal resentments. Weaknesses in Germany’s Weimar democracy, including its proportional electoral system and lack of a strong liberal tradition, facilitated the entry of extremist parties into parliament and, ultimately, government.

Under Hitler, the Nazi party implemented a state-sponsored campaign to destroy LGBTQAI+ life, codifying and dramatically expanding the criminalization of homosexuality through Paragraph 175, destroying all queer social life, and arresting tens of thousands of gay men. Between 5,000 and 15,000 gay men were sent to concentration camps, where they often faced conditions worse than those of other prisoners and a disproportionately high mortality rate. Lesbian women and gender-non-conforming persons, though less specifically targeted in law, were often arrested on vague charges of “asociality” and faced social ostracism, violence, and loss of livelihood. The persecution was rooted in a Nazi ideology conflating “degenerate” sexuality with racial impurity and national weakness: homosexuals were targeted not just as “deviants” but as threats to the reproductive and racial health of the German Volk.

After 1945, many survivors of Nazi persecution found little solace; Paragraph 175 remained in force in both East and West Germany for decades, and most victims were only rehabilitated and acknowledged as victims late in the twentieth century. The silence and lack of compensation for these crimes reflected the lasting stigma and institutionalized prejudice carried over from the Nazi period.

Contemporary Echoes and the Importance of Vigilance

Comparing these eras, the growing normalcy of exclusionary, anti-LGBTQAI+, and nationalist rhetoric in Germany today evokes disturbing historical echoes of the Weimar and early Nazi periods, albeit without the totalitarian structures of the past. Both historically and now, periods of crisis and social division are exploited by extremists to scapegoat minorities, roll back social progress, and threaten democratic safeguards.

The right-wing populist ascendancy, whether through the AfD, the influence of Trumpism, or coordination with leaders like Orbán, directly endangers hard-won equal rights and the dignity of vulnerable communities, most visibly the LGBTQAI+ community. The lessons of history underscore the urgent necessity for robust democratic institutions, vigilant civil society, and an unwavering commitment to equality and human rights if Germany is to avert a repetition of its darkest chapters.