Right-wing extremist, right-wing radical, right-wing extremist – what is the difference?

The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) now considers the AfD to be a “confirmed right-wing extremist endeavor.”

What does that mean? And what does "right-wing extremist" actually mean, as opposed to other terms often used in connection with the party? We'll get to the bottom of the different terms.

The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution's reassessment of the AfD (previously, the entire party was merely classified as a suspect) makes it easier to monitor the party through intelligence means in the future. With this reclassification, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution states: "The indications that the AfD is right-wing extremist and anti-constitutional have now become so strong that we no longer have any doubt about it."

The basis is a more than 1,000-page internal report by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), which documents violations of human dignity, the rule of law, and the principle of democracy. According to the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the AfD represents an "ethnic-descendant understanding of the people" that excludes certain groups—such as Germans with a migration history from predominantly Muslim countries.

The AfD is a "confirmed right-wing extremist movement." This is the classification reached by the new report from the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. What this means in concrete terms: the most important questions and answers.

The two terms essentially mean the same thing. In everyday language, the term "right-wing extremist" is often used. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, however, primarily uses the term "right-wing extremist."

Right-wing extremists reject the liberal democratic order and strive for an authoritarian, ethnically homogeneous "national community." Core elements of their ideology are racism, often anti-Semitism, and the devaluation of minorities.

Right-wing describes a political spectrum that emphasizes traditionally conservative values ​​such as nation-states, authority, and social hierarchies. It encompasses both democratic currents and extremist fringe groups. The umbrella term can therefore refer to both right-wing conservatives and right-wing extremists.

Right-wing radicals advocate nationalist, anti-pluralist positions and strive for an uncompromising transformation of the state along authoritarian lines – but predominantly within the constitutional order. This is where right-wing radicals differ from right-wing extremists – even if the boundaries are often fluid.

Populism describes a political attitude or strategy that constructs a contrast between the “common people” and a “corrupt elite,” claims sole representation of the “true will of the people,” and presents complex political problems through polarizing, moralizing simplifications.

Populism can provide democratic impulses (e.g. by criticizing abuse of power), but can also lead to extremism if it negates minority rights.

Right-wing populism exploits fears of social change, idealizes the "common people," and combats elites. It is not necessarily anti-constitutional, but it can build bridges to right-wing extremist narratives.

Nationalistic ideologies define belonging through ancestry and ethnicity. They propagate a homogenized "national community" and reject pluralism—a central feature of the AfD's platform, according to the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution.

Nationalism places one's own nation above others and emphasizes their supposed cultural, ethnic, or historical superiority. Nationalists often call for a strong, sovereign nation that is insulated from external influences—such as migration or supranational organizations like the EU.

While democratic nationalism can have patriotic overtones, radical nationalism aims at exclusion, homogeneity, and the subordination of individual rights to collective national interests. In extreme forms, nationalism overlaps with right-wing extremist ideologies.

National Socialism was the ideology of the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP) under Adolf Hitler. It combined extreme nationalism with ethnic ideology, racism, anti-Semitism, and a totalitarian conception of the state. National Socialism denied the equal value of all people, propagated the "Aryan race" as superior, and legitimized violence and extermination against groups defined as "inferior."

As a specific form of fascism , National Socialism combined authoritarian rule with racist ideology and systematic violence. Along with other fascist movements in Europe, it was characterized by a cult of leadership, militarism, anti-parliamentarism, and the radical rejection of pluralistic societies.

After 1945, Nazi ideology was banned in Germany (Sections 86 and 130 of the Criminal Code). National Socialist symbols and statements are now considered clearly unconstitutional and warrant surveillance by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution and criminal prosecution.

There's no general answer to this question. Legally, the AfD is a registered party that is not banned and has not been officially classified as National Socialist. It participates in democratic elections and recognizes—at least formally—the Basic Law.

However, the AfD tolerates people in its ranks whose statements are rhetorically, ideologically or symbolically related to National Socialist ideas – this applies above all to ethnic ideology, authoritarian state thinking or anti-Semitic and racist allusions.

People whose rhetoric, worldview or political goals clearly refer to central elements of National Socialism can, under certain circumstances, be described as “National Socialist” – provided that this classification is based on concrete statements or actions.

One example is AfD politician Björn Höcke . The parliamentary group leader of the Thuringian AfD parliamentary group has been repeatedly named by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution as a leading representative of a right-wing extremist current within the party. In 2021, the Meiningen Administrative Court ruled that Höcke may be referred to as a "fascist" in public debate because his language and ideology contain references to fascist thought patterns. His use of Nazi-like terms and his relativization of the Holocaust have also been widely criticized both legally and politically. However, caution is advised: such court decisions usually refer to a specific case and cannot be interpreted as a general permission to label a politician in this way.

With the increasing radicalization of large parts of its membership, the AfD has transformed from an originally national-liberal party into a right-wing populist and now right-wing extremist party.

However, it is important to distinguish the party as a whole and its individual members from its voters. AfD voters are not automatically right-wing extremists or even National Socialists. Many people vote for the AfD out of protest, for conservative reasons, or because of individual positions, not necessarily out of ideological agreement with Nazi ideas.