The Role of “Alternative for Germany” in Spreading Russian Narratives

In contemporary Europe, radical right-wing parties are the political forces promoting Russian political narratives among European citizens. The German Alternative for Germany (AfD) party occupies a special place among radical right-wing political organisations. Founded in 2013, it quickly transformed from a marginal anti-establishment party into a parliamentary party that is represented at various levels: state parliaments, the Bundestag and the European Parliament. The methodology of the study is based on a comparative analysis of the specificities of the AfD's pro-Russian narratives in two different phases: 2014–2021 and 2022–2024. The methods used include quantitative and qualitative analysis of the AfD's publications on Facebook, election manifestos, speeches of leading politicians and media publications. The AfD's pro-Russian stance is influenced by objective factors, such as the ideological proximity of radical right-wing parties to Russia, and subjective factors, such as the fact that the AfD's electorate consists mainly of people from eastern Germany, the former GDR, who maintain ties and loyalty to Russia. An analysis of social media posts and speeches by AfD politicians revealed not only pro-Russian rhetoric, but also duplication of some of the Kremlin's official narratives, which the party effectively combines with voters’ fears to manipulate voter sentiment. This helps to increase support for the AfD in both eastern states where the party won (Thuringia, 2024) and western states where it became the largest opposition force (Bavaria & Hesse, 2023). For Russia, the AfD's support confirms the thesis that Russian policies have support in western states.