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Established political parties are more and more enabling the radical right to set the public discourse, according to a recent study carried out in Germany.

Researchers discovered that this trend has unwittingly benefited radical groups by legitimising their ideas and spreading them to a broader audience.

Study Based on Two Decades of Media Coverage

The findings, released in the European Journal of Political Research, utilized an automated text analysis of over 520,000 news pieces from six national publications.

Berlin-based researchers noted that as the radical faction moved from fringe issues in the 1990s era to central subjects like assimilation and immigration, established parties progressively adjusted their messaging in response.

This adaptation boosted the dissemination of these ideas and indicated to the electorate that such positions were acceptable.

Implications for Democracy

"Public communication by mainstream political groups plays a central role in the electoral success of the far right," stated a political sociologist participating in the study.

"This factor has been overlooked," she noted.

The effect was noticeable even when conventional parties were criticising the radical faction. "You're still giving them attention," the researcher remarked. "The main point is that because we live in such a struggle for visibility, this attention is key."

Normalisation Effect Across Europe

While the research was focused on the German context, this normalisation effect is likely to affect nations across Europe.

"You see this a lot in European media," said another researcher. "Radical groups makes a statement and everyone starts talking about it for one week."

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

Hardening of Political Discourse

At times, leaders have also toughened their discourse to match that of the far right.

In a recent discussion, a former German chancellor called for large-scale deportations and pushed for them to happen "more frequently and rapidly."

Comparable instances can be observed across the continent, as elected officials from countries ranging from the United Kingdom to France embrace the language of the radical right, especially on migration.

This has formed an echo chamber that would have been inconceivable a ten years prior.

Central Issue: Who Dictates the Agenda?

"{If you're a centrist political group and you are discussing cultural issues – migration, integration – in a way that is determined by the rhythm of the radical right, that's the whole idea of narrative control," explained a study author.

Some parties have gone one step further, attempting to emulate the hardline platform of the far right, despite research suggests that this approach drives voters to cast their ballot for the far right.

Gradual Impact and Voter Awareness

The scope of data collected revealed that the influence of radical groups had been progressive and had grown over time.

"Voter awareness doesn't change from one day to another," commented a co-author. "However, when you encounter this pessimistic narrative around migration every second week, and it is being disseminated not only by far-right parties but also, for instance, by established parties, then of course this narrative gains more traction."

Requirement for Mainstream Parties to Develop Their Own Discourses

The research emphasized the need for mainstream political parties to carve out their distinct narratives, particularly on subjects such as migration and integration, instead of continuously following the radical right.

"It resembles a choreography," explained one researcher. "If the conductor is radical and you're responding to them, you cannot decide which tune should be heard."