THE GEN Z ON THE RIGHT COURSE: SOCIAL MEDIA, SEDUCTION AND YOUTH CULTURE

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In focus: FALSE PATRIOTS - THE OPEN SOCIETY AND ITS ENEMIES

In 2019, young voters in Austria were still leaning towards the Greens and the ÖVP in the national elections, but just a few years later, the FPÖ was clearly the number one choice among young people. The same applies to Germany: for a long time, young people mainly favoured the Greens and Liberals, but Gen Z already voted massively for the far right in the European elections; in the 2025 federal elections, the AfD, which is partly on the far right, was already the strongest force among young voters in the east.

Right-wing populists and right-wing extremists have therefore managed to present themselves as protest parties and problem solvers - and to pander to them. Right-wing everyday culture and subculture is once again attractive to young people, and the radicals are scoring points on social media with their skilfully tailored offers for young people. Nationalist, anti-woke politics are therefore trending among Gen Z.

Why - and how to deal with it? Robert Misik talks about this with Rafid Kabir, content creator and „democracy influencer“, and Antonie Rietzschel, investigative journalist and right-wing extremism expert in East Germany.

Moderation Robert Misik, Author and journalist