Prawicowy ekstremizm w Republice Federalnej Niemiec – zagrożenie dla demokracji?
Right-wing Extremism in the Federal Republic of Germany – A Threat to Democracy?

Summary/Abstract: The significance of the extreme right-wing parties on the political scene of the FRG is analyzed in an attempt to answer the question whether today’s right-wing extremism poses a threat to democracy in Germany and what are the prospects of its further development. The focus is set on the electoral and parliamentary scene as well as on the parties’ organizational and personal potential. In order to assess adequately the possibilities of development of right-wing extremism the sources of previous successes and failures of the studied parties – NPD, DVU and REP – are first defined. Analysis shows explicitly that those parties are a marginal phenomenon both on the electoral and parliamentary arena, with occasional successes on the local scene as the only exceptions. At present the NPD, which is strongest in the eastern federal states, enjoys the biggest popularity. The source of the weakness of the extreme right lies with the cultural factor (condemnation and isolation of right-wing extremism) and the agency factors (the parties’ organizational drawbacks). By comparison, the mainstream and extreme left-wing parties manifest a somewhat smaller though also significant integrative strength. Currently the NPD is the only extreme right-wing group capable of operating in Germany. The stigma of National Socialism and staunch extremism of the NPD deprive the party of chances to win broader support and enter the Bundestag at any predictable time. Thus, at present and in the perspective of the near future the extreme right does not pose a threat to democracy in Germany.

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