The Rise of Germany's New Right (full documentary) | FRONTLINE

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 01:15:52 +0000

Far-right leaders in Germany have risen to the brink of power. This documentary investigates how they got there, looking at the reasons behind the surge in support for their brand of hardline nationalist politics and the roles of Russia and the U.S.

This journalism is made possible by viewers like you. Support your local PBS station here: https://www.pbs.org/donate

Support for nationalist, anti-immigrant parties has surged across Europe in recent years — including in Germany, where far-right leaders have risen to the brink of power for the first time since World War II.

“The Rise of Germany’s New Right” examines the recent political ascendance of the country’s far-right Alternative for Deutschland (AfD) party — exploring how it has targeted younger voters using AI videos that play on fears about immigrants and crime, how it has called for the “remigration” of immigrants who entered Germany illegally and others who had been given temporary right to stay, and how it has won vocal support from influential figures including Elon Musk and U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance. The documentary also probes allegations that Russia boosted the AfD through what one journalist calls “disinformation warfare.”

As the film details, after World War II, Germany set out to reckon with its grim history, in part by banning Nazi symbols and slogans and criminalizing Holocaust denial. A political “firewall” was also established, with mainstream parties vowing not to work with far-right parties to govern. The documentary details how, decades later, members of the AfD have pushed back against this “remembrance culture,” become the second largest party in Germany’s parliament, and are calling for the dismantling of the “firewall,” arguing it has no place in a democracy.

Drawing on interviews with numerous AfD politicians, German intelligence service officials, political scientists, and journalists, “The Rise of Germany’s New Right” examines how and why the country reached this moment, and what it says about broader trends across Europe.

“The Rise of Germany’s New Right” is a FRONTLINE production with Mongoose Pictures in association with Evan Williams Productions. The correspondent, reporter, producer and director is Evan Williams. The producer is Hannah Congdon. The senior producer is Dan Edge. The editor-in-chief and executive producer of FRONTLINE is Raney Aronson-Rath.

Explore additional reporting on ”The Rise of Germany’s New Right” on our website: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/front....line/documentary/the

#Documentary #Germany #Politics

Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/PBSfrontline
Sign up for our newsletter: https://frontline.org/newsletter
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontlinepbs​
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frontline
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/frontlinepbs.bsky.social

FRONTLINE is produced at GBH in Boston and is broadcast nationwide on PBS. Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Additional support for FRONTLINE is provided by the Abrams Foundation, Park Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Heising-Simons Foundation, and the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund, with major support from Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation, and additional support from Koo and Patricia Yuen.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 - Prologue
00:36 - The AfD’s 2024 State Election Victory in Germany’s Thuringia
07:22 - How the Nazis Came to Power & How Germany Has Reckoned With Its Past
14:11 - Who Is AfD Politician Björn Höcke & Why He’s Accused of Trying to Rewrite German History
21:45 - How the AfD Used Social Media to Connect With Young German Voters
35:47 - What’s Behind the Rise of Far-Right Parties Across Europe?
39:15 - Russia’s Alleged ‘Disinformation Warfare’ & Influence on Foreign Elections
54:50 - The AfD’s Anti-Immigration Ad Campaign & Calls for ‘Remigration’
01:01:39 - What Elon Musk’s Virtual Speech at the AfD’s 2025 Campaign Event Signified
01:12:17 - How German Politicians View President Donald Trump & His Administration
01:22:15 - Credits