Nurturing Democratic Resilience among Youth to Counter Far-Right Influence in the Eastern German Elections 2024 (NurtureDEMOS)

Project implementation: Dr. Anna-Sophie Heinze

In cooperation with: Prof. Dr. Eva Walther and Aktion Zivilcourage e.V.

Project duration: 04/2024-03/2025

Funding: VolkswagenStiftung

Project description:
This research project aims to investigate the growing influence of far-right parties, in particular the "Alternative for Germany" (Alternative für Deutschland, AfD), on young voters and first-time voters in Eastern Germany. The project focuses on the 2024 state and local elections in this region, where the AfD has gained significant support and poses a challenge to liberal democracy.
The project takes a transdisciplinary approach, involving both academic experts from the fields of political science and social psychology as well as a strong civil society partner. We want to explore two critical but often overlooked aspects: the role of civil society and that of the local level in countering far-right influence and promoting democratic values among young people.

► Trier University press release from 03.04.2024: Why young people vote for the AfD  [German version]