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Established parties in power are increasingly allowing the far right to set the public discourse, as per a new study carried out in Germany.

Academics found that this trend has unwittingly benefited far-right parties by validating their viewpoints and spreading them more widely.

Study Drawing from Over 20 Years of Media Coverage

The results, published in the European Journal of Political Research, relied on an computerized content review of more than 520,000 articles from a half-dozen German newspapers.

Berlin-based scholars observed that as the far right shifted from fringe issues in the 1990s era to core themes like integration and migration, mainstream parties progressively adapted their communication in reaction.

This adaptation boosted the dissemination of these ideas and signaled to voters that such positions were legitimate.

Implications for Democracy

"Political discourse by mainstream political groups plays a central role in the electoral success of the far right," stated a expert in political behavior participating in the research.

"This factor has been underestimated," she noted.

The effect was noticeable even when mainstream parties were criticising the radical faction. "You're still giving them attention," the researcher remarked. "The main point is that because we live in such a struggle for visibility, this attention is crucial."

Normalisation Phenomenon Throughout the Continent

While the research was focused on the German context, this mainstreaming phenomenon is likely to apply to nations throughout Europe.

"You see this a lot in European news outlets," said another co-author. "The far right says something and everyone starts talking about it for one week."

"Although you're countering it, you're echoing it," he added.

Hardening of Public Discourse

At times, political figures have also toughened their language to match that of the far right.

In a recently published interview, a former German chancellor advocated widespread deportations and pushed for them to happen "more often and faster."

Similar instances can be found across Europe, as politicians from nations including the United Kingdom to France adopt the language of the radical right, especially on migration.

This has formed an feedback loop that was inconceivable a decade ago.

Core Problem: Who Sets the Agenda?

"{If you're a centrist party and you are discussing cultural issues – migration, assimilation – in a way that is determined by the pace of the radical right, that's the whole idea of agenda setting," explained a researcher.

Other political parties have taken additional measures, seeking to copy the strict agenda of the radical right, despite research indicates that this approach drives voters to vote for the far right.

Progressive Influence and Voter Awareness

The scope of information gathered revealed that the impact of radical groups had been progressive and had grown over time.

"Voter awareness doesn't change from day to day," stated a co-author. "However, when you hear this pessimistic narrative around immigration every second week, and it is being spread not only by radical groups but also, for instance, by established political organizations, then of course this narrative travels further."

Need for Mainstream Groups to Carve Out Their Own Narratives

The study emphasized the need for mainstream political parties to develop their own narratives, particularly on topics such as immigration and assimilation, rather than constantly trailing after the radical right.

"It resembles a choreography," said one researcher. "When the leader is far-right and you're responding to them, you lose the ability to choose which music should be heard."