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Established parties in power are more and more enabling the far right to set the public discourse, according to a new research conducted in the Federal Republic of Germany.

Researchers discovered that this phenomenon has unwittingly helped radical parties by legitimising their ideas and spreading them more widely.

Analysis Based on Two Decades of Media Coverage

The findings, released in the European Journal of Political Research, utilized an automated text analysis of more than 520,000 articles from six national publications.

Capital-based scholars noted that as the far right moved from fringe issues in the late 1990s to central subjects like assimilation and migration, mainstream political groups progressively adapted their messaging in reaction.

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

Implications for Democracy

"Political discourse by established political groups is crucial in the voting performance of the far right," stated a political sociologist involved in the research.

"This factor has been underestimated," she added.

The impact was noticeable even when mainstream parties were criticising the far right. "They still receive focus," the researcher commented. "The main point is that because we live in such a battle for attention, this focus is key."

Normalisation Phenomenon Across the Continent

While the research was focused on the German context, this normalisation effect is likely to affect countries across the European continent.

"You see this a lot in European news outlets," explained another co-author. "Radical groups says something and everybody begins discussing it for several days."

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

Hardening of Public Discourse

At certain points, political figures have also toughened their discourse to match that of the far right.

In a recent interview, a then German chancellor called for large-scale deportations and pushed for them to happen "more often and faster."

Similar instances can be found throughout Europe, as politicians from nations ranging from the United Kingdom to France embrace the language of the far right, particularly on immigration.

This has created an feedback loop that would have been unthinkable a ten years prior.

Core Problem: Who Dictates the Agenda?

"{If you're a centrist political group and you are talking about cultural issues – migration, assimilation – in a way that is dictated by the rhythm of the far right, that's the essence of narrative control," clarified a study author.

Some parties have gone one step further, attempting to emulate the strict platform of the far right, despite studies suggests that doing so leads voters to vote for the far right.

Progressive Influence and Public Perception

The extent of information gathered revealed that the influence of radical parties had been gradual and had grown with the passage of time.

"Public perception doesn't change from one day to another," commented a co-author. "But if you encounter this pessimistic narrative around immigration frequently, and it is being disseminated not only by far-right parties but also, for instance, by mainstream political organizations, then of course this storyline gains more traction."

Need for Mainstream Parties to Develop Their Distinct Discourses

The study highlighted the necessity for mainstream parties to develop their distinct discourses, particularly on subjects such as immigration and integration, rather than continuously following the far right.

"It resembles a choreography," explained one researcher. "If the conductor is far-right and you're reacting to it, you cannot decide which music should be playing."