In the European elections, Alternative for Germany ensured access to young people by speaking their language and going where they are: on social media.

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) strengthened its percentages in almost all population and age groups in the 2024 European elections.

It even recorded the biggest increases among young people aged 16-24. 16% of young people voted for the Alternative for Germany, which is targeted by Germany’s Constitutional Protection Agency on suspicion of being a far-right party. It should be noted that the percentage of young voters of the AfD almost reaches the total percentage of the German conservative parties, Christian Democrats and Christian Socialists, among young people.

Although the AfD is far from securing a majority of young voters, the percentage increase is impressive. In the 2019 European elections, the extreme party received only 5% of young voters. On Sunday, he managed to triple his percentage, reaching 16%.

The TikTok party

In recent years, the AfD has set itself the goal of winning over the youth. And he more than succeeded last Sunday. With targeted campaigns on TikTok, Instagram and other social media, Alternative for Germany has found a way to reach young voters: The messages appeal to emotion, they are clear and direct: “Be confident”, “Look forward”, “Don’t watching porn’, ‘Believe in yourself’. With these slogans, the controversial head of the AfD’s European ballot, Maximilian Kra, connected his messages with simple political positions, such as: “real men are right-wing”. In his videos, he combines apt remarks with humor, thus managing to reach millions of people.

Maximilian Kra is however much more than a politician-turned-TikTok influencer. Recently, it has caused significant scandals. The AfD’s leading candidate is suspected of being financed by Russia. His close associate in the European Parliament is even accused of spying for China. And as if that wasn’t enough, in the final stretch of the European elections he relativized the crimes of the German SS during the Second World War. Outrage at Maximilian Kra’s positions came from every corner of Europe, even from other far-right parties.

Young people are interested in peace, not the climate

As a result, the AfD leadership banned Maximilian Kra from participating in the election campaign for the European elections. The party leadership’s decision potentially cost the AfD votes. But young people either don’t seem to be interested in the scandals or didn’t even take them into account.

Germany’s democratic parties appear to have nothing to oppose the AfD’s social media strategy. When Chancellor Olaf Solz presented, more or less successfully, the contents of his portfolio on his new TikTok channel, he seemed oblivious to the world of the popular social media. Today the AfD has access to as many young people in Germany as all the other parties combined: Christian Democrats, Christian Socialists, Social Democrats, Greens, Liberals and the Left.

The successes of the Alternative for Germany among the younger generation are perhaps also related to another important reason. Five years ago, young people’s interest was mainly focused on climate change and its effects. In 2024, this issue has faded into the background. According to a recent survey by the Bertelsmann Foundation, young people are primarily concerned with peace in Europe. The majority of 16- to 25-year-olds said in the survey that the most important mission of citizens should be “ensuring peace”. In recent months the AfD has presented itself to young people as a “party for peace”. And he managed to convince an impressive number of people.

Editor: Stefanos Georgakopoulos