Political Parties Archive - HUMBOLDT-GOV.LAB

Do radical right parties in opposition influence coalition government policy?

hk097846 — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 13:52:32 +0000

2025 | Fabio Ellger, Heike Klüver

Do radical right parties in opposition influence coalition government policy?

Radical right parties such as Germany’s AfD, Denmark’s Folkeparti, or Austria’s FPÖ are gaining influence across Europe. But what impact do they actually have on policy when they are in opposition? A new study by Fabio Ellger and Heike Klüver finds that coalition governments significantly shift their positions on immigration policy toward restriction as soon as far-right parties are represented in parliament.

The researchers analyzed 165 coalition formations in 24 European democracies between 1980 and 2015. They compared election programs with coalition agreements—documents that are usually only a few weeks apart. The result: coalition negotiations provide an ideal moment for policy shifts. Confidential discussions allow governing parties to adjust their policies without being perceived as opportunistic. Changes can be framed as necessary compromises.

The rightward shift is particularly pronounced in minority governments and in governments that have lost votes compared to the previous election. Surprisingly, the size of the far-right party does not play a decisive role—its mere presence in parliament is sufficient.

Far-right parties do not need to be in government to influence policy. Their parliamentary success alone is enough to induce established parties to adjust their positions. The study also shows that more restrictive positions in coalition agreements translate into more restrictive immigration legislation during the legislative period.

The researchers received the Gordon Smith and Vincent Wright Memorial Prize in recognition of their paper from the journal West European Politics and its publisher, Taylor & Francis.

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Contact information

Prof. Dr. Heike Klüver

Email: heike.kluever@hu-berlin.de

Website: https://heike-kluever.com

Dr. Fabio Ellger

Email: fabio.ellger@wzb.eu

Website: https://fabioellger.com

Photo:
1 – moerschy / Pixabay / Bundestag, Parliament, Berlin image. Free for use.

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Do radical right parties in opposition influence coalition government policy?

Radical right parties such as Germany’s AfD, Denmark’s Folkeparti, or Austria’s FPÖ are gaining influence across Europe. But what impact do they actually have on policy when they are in opposition? A new study by Fabio Ellger and Heike Klüver finds that coalition governments significantly shift their positions on immigration policy toward restriction as soon… … Read More
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Der Beitrag Do radical right parties in opposition influence coalition government policy? erschien zuerst auf HUMBOLDT-GOV.LAB.

Which issues can democratic parties effectively use to counter the AfD?

p643237 — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 10:57:41 +0000

März 2023 | Violeta I. Haas, Lukas F. Stoetzer, Petra Schleiter and Heike Klüver

Which issues can democratic parties effectively use to counter the AfD?

We investigated whether democratic parties can win back voters from right-wing populist parties through targeted campaigns. Based on a survey experiment conducted with 3,000 citizens during the 2021 federal election in Germany, we demonstrated that democratic parties can reclaim voters from the AfD by strategically highlighting so-called “wedge issues.” Wedge issues are topics where AfD voters hold different positions than the right-wing populists, such as social housing or welfare state policies.

READ FULL STUDY

Contact information

Prof. Dr. Heike Klüver

Email: heike.kluever@hu-berlin.de

Website: https://www.heike-kluever.com

Dr. Violeta Haas

Email: violeta.haas@tcd.ie

Website: https://violeta-haas.github.io/

Photo: DesignRage / Shutterstock / 3D illustration, The parties in Germany in the shadow of AfD

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Do radical right parties in opposition influence coalition government policy?

Radical right parties such as Germany’s AfD, Denmark’s Folkeparti, or Austria’s FPÖ are gaining influence across Europe. But what impact do they actually have on policy when they are in opposition? A new study by Fabio Ellger and Heike Klüver finds that coalition governments significantly shift their positions on immigration policy toward restriction as soon… … Read More
Does homophobia win elections?

Far-right and illiberal leaders around the world increasingly turn to anti-LGBTQ rhetoric as a political tool. A new study by Violeta I. Haas, Konstantin Bogatyrev, Tarik Abou-Chadi, Heike Klüver and Lukas F. Stötzer shows that this strategy can yield direct electoral benefits. Examining Poland’s widely discussed so-called “LGBT-free zones”, the authors provide causal evidence that… … Read More
Perceived inequality as fertile ground for populism

Why are more and more people turning to populist parties? A new study by Lukas F. Stoetzer, Johannes Giesecke, and Heike Klüver shows that not only actual social inequality matters, but also how unequal people perceive their society to be. Those who believe that wealth and influence are concentrated in the hands of a few… … Read More
Has Russia’s invasion of Ukraine changed Europeans’ attitudes toward the EU?

Russia’s war in Ukraine has sparked a rise in support for the European Union across member states. A new study based on representative EU-wide data shows: approval of the EU increased noticeably after the invasion – with citizens seeing the Union more as a symbol of stability and security. While the rallying effect was widespread,… … Read More
Young, male, right-wing? Gender gap among young voters

A clear political shift to the right is emerging among Europe’s younger generation – driven primarily by young men. A new study based on representative data from all 27 EU member states shows: right-wing populist and far-right parties receive significantly more support among young men than among young women. … Read More
Can social media influencers affect elections?

They share tips on fashion, nutrition and lifestyle, reach millions of followers and are key opinion leaders of their generation – but social media influencers are also increasingly getting involved in politics. Whether on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok or Twitter, influencers are increasingly taking a public stance on political issues such as climate protection, gender equality… … Read More
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The intensifying frequency of extreme weather events, from catastrophic wildfires to devastating floods, underscores the urgent need for climate policy leadership. … Read More
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In times of complicated coalition formation, the idea of a minority government is often introduced into political discourse. … Read More
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We investigated whether democratic parties can win back voters from right-wing populist parties through targeted campaigns. … Read More
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Using a survey experiment with 20,500 participants in Germany, we investigated the effectiveness of three strategies to increase vaccination rates in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: … Read More
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Participation in a government coalition as a junior partner can negatively affect a party’s future electoral success. … Read More

Der Beitrag Which issues can democratic parties effectively use to counter the AfD? erschien zuerst auf HUMBOLDT-GOV.LAB.