AfD
Talahons on Trial
Germany’s word of the year is “talahon.” It emerged from hip-hop as a meme characterizing Arab-German youth, morphed into a cultural phenomenon and was ultimately weaponized by the far right to gain unprecedented support in the recent federal elections.
Germany’s Rightward Drift
Germany’s recent federal election showed a sharp rise in support for the far-right AfD party, which media and political analysts have blamed on voters in the former East Germany. But the data shows a picture that is far more nuanced.
The Former East Germany Is Fertile Ground for the Far Right
The German far right is strongest in the country’s formerly communist eastern states. Tracing the Cold War legacies of East Germany shows how a movement that is rising across Europe also feeds on unique national and regional histories.