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Established political parties are more and more enabling the far right to set the political agenda, as per a recent study conducted in Germany.

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

Analysis Based on Two Decades of Media Coverage

The findings, released in the academic journal on political studies, relied on an automated text analysis of over 520,000 articles from a half-dozen German newspapers.

Capital-based researchers noted that as the far right shifted from fringe issues in the 1990s era to central themes like integration and migration, established parties increasingly adjusted their messaging in reaction.

This adjustment boosted the dissemination of these ideas and indicated to the electorate that such positions were legitimate.

Consequences for Democracy

"Political discourse by mainstream political groups plays a central role in the voting performance of the radical right," stated a expert in political behavior participating in the research.

"This element has been overlooked," she added.

The impact was noticeable even when conventional groups were criticising the far right. "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 key."

Normalisation Phenomenon Across Europe

While the study was centered around Germany, this mainstreaming phenomenon is likely to apply to nations throughout the European continent.

"You see this a lot in European media," explained another researcher. "Radical groups makes a statement and everybody begins discussing it for several days."

"Even if you're countering it, you're echoing it," he stated.

Hardening of Political Discourse

At times, leaders have also hardened their discourse to match that of the radical right.

In a recently published discussion, a then German chancellor called for large-scale expulsions and pushed for them to happen "more frequently and rapidly."

Comparable examples can be observed across Europe, as politicians from countries including the United Kingdom to the French Republic embrace the language of the radical right, particularly on migration.

This has formed an echo chamber that was unthinkable a ten years prior.

Central Problem: Who Dictates the Agenda?

"{If you're a centrist political group and you are talking about societal topics – immigration, integration – in a way that is determined by the rhythm of the far right, that's the whole idea of agenda setting," explained a study author.

Other parties have gone one step further, attempting to emulate the hardline agenda of the far right, even as studies suggests that this approach leads the electorate to vote for the far right.

Gradual Impact and Public Perception

The scope of data gathered showed that the impact of radical groups had been gradual and had increased with the passage of time.

"Public perception doesn't change from one day to another," stated a researcher. "However, when you encounter this negative framing around migration frequently, and it is being disseminated not only by far-right parties but also, for instance, by established parties, then of course this storyline gains more traction."

Need for Established Parties to Carve Out Their Own Discourses

The study emphasized the necessity for mainstream political parties to develop their distinct narratives, especially on topics such as immigration and integration, instead of constantly following the far right.

"It resembles a choreography," explained one researcher. "If the conductor is radical and you're reacting to it, you lose the ability to choose which tune should be playing."