Will the AfD Move Germany to the Far-Right, Again? The Evolution of a Party

Within eleven years of its founding, the German far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) has become a major political contender in the German political arena. Right-wing mobilization on a large scale had long been considered unlikely. Yet, the party has accomplished electoral success and found approval while moving further to the right. Although the party had elements of a largely neoliberal conservative party, it has slowly morphed into the most successful far-right party since 1945.

At the same time, Germany is now witnessing large scale protests against the AfD ahead of several crucial elections in East Germany and Europe. What can account for the success of the party? What can explain the programmatic shifts within the AfD? And do the protests have an effect on the party?

Join us for a conversation with David Bebnowski about his book Die Alternative für Deutschland: Aufstieg und gesellschaftliche Repräsentanz einer rechten populistischen Partei (Springer, 2015) which chronicles the evolution of the AfD.

Speaker: David Bebnowski, Postdoctoral Fellow, History Department, Harvard University

Introduction: David Spreen, Assistant Professor of History, Harvard University; Resident Faculty and Seminar Co-Chair, Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard University; Faculty Associate, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University

Discussants:
Daniel Ziblatt, Eaton Professor of the Science of Government, Harvard University; Director, Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard University; Unit Director, Transformations of Democracy, WZB Berlin Social Science Center

Quinn Slobodian, Professor of International History, Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, Boston University

Ths event is sponsored by the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard University.