IntelBrief: Far-Right Populism is Back on the Menu

Bottom Line Up Front

• The far-right populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party recently won two local elections in breakthrough victories, marking the first time the party has captured either a prominent regional or mayoral post.
• Despite being surveilled by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency and its youth wing being classified as an ‘extremist’ organization, AfD’s poll numbers rival that of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s party.
• Rising energy costs, widespread inflation, and migration levels that have doubled over last year are providing fodder for far-right messaging throughout Europe.
• The AfD’s victories in Germany, as well as the recent collapse of the Dutch government, may prove to be a bellwether for the appeal of far-right policies and parties in 2024 European Parliament elections.