Social media driving

right-wing Europe

The rise of the far right across Europe is linked to the impact of social media, as a new generation of young supporters embraces hardline nationalist extremism and anti-immigrant groups

GERMANY

FRANCE

Four years ago German BfV

security agency estimated there

were 25,000 right-wing extremists,

of which 5,600 were neo-Nazis

Far-right. Has

Front National:

24 MEPs. Facebook support

has surged

since April.

66%

Leader

in polls for presidential election

is high

Marine Le Pen

Pegida:

Anti-Islamic

movement founded in Dresden,

October 2014. Since February,

number of supporters on its official

Facebook profile has grown by

281,320

AUSTRIA

Freedom Party:

13%

Right-wing, anti-immigration.

Support up

Facebook likes*

Nov 2015

179,580

since April

50%

260,360

National Democratic Party

of Germany:

Neo-Nazi

SWEDEN

party has one Member of

European Parliament

Sweden Democrats:

Anti-immigration. 49 seats

in 349-seat parliament, 2 MEPs.

Facebook support up

140,560

since April

17%

UNITED KINGDOM

103,090

Far-right,

Britain First:

anti-Islamist, nationalist

party. Facebook support

has grown

NORWAY

since April

37%

Right

Progress Party:

wing party has 29 seats in

169-seat parliment. Facebook

support up

1,000,380

English Defence League:

22%

Far-right, anti-Islamist.

Support has grown

83,170

since April

22%

232,000

DENMARK

Danish People’s

Party:

HUNGARY

Far-right. Has

Extremist party

Jobbik:

37 seats in 179-seat parliament and

4 MEPs. Social media support up

76%

is third largest in National

Assembly

since April

301,460

58,290

*Every time someone “likes” a Facebook page or comment, it is exposed to an average

136 other people, who then can “like” it to others

Sources: Facebook, Spiegel, vocativ.com

Social media driving

right-wing Europe

The rise of the far right across Europe is linked to the impact of social media, as a new generation of young supporters embraces hardline nationalist extremism and anti-immigrant groups

GERMANY

Four years ago German BfV security agency

estimated there were 25,000 right-wing extremists,

of which 5,600 were neo-Nazis

Anti-Islamic

Pegida:

movement founded in

Dresden, October 2014. Since February, number

of supporters on its official Facebook profile has

grown by

13%

179,580

Facebook likes* November 2015

*Every time someone “likes” a Facebook page or

comment, it is exposed to an average 136 other people,

who then can “like” it to others

Supporters of Pegida demonstrate in Dresden,

Germany, on November 9, 2015

National Democratic Party of Germany:

Neo-Nazi party has one Member of

European Parliament

140,560

UNITED KINGDOM

Far-right, anti-Islamist,

Britain First:

nationalist party. Facebook support

has grown

since April

37%

1,000,380

English Defence League:

Far-right, anti-Islamist.

Support has grown

since April

22%

232,000

HUNGARY

Extremist party is third largest

Jobbik:

in National Assembly

301,460

FRANCE

Far-right. Has

Front National:

24 MEPs. Facebook support

has surged

since April.

66%

Leader

in polls for presidential election

is high

Marine Le Pen

281,320

AUSTRIA

Right-wing,

Freedom Party:

anti-immigration. Support up

since April

50%

260,360

SWEDEN

Sweden Democrats:

Anti-immigration party. 49 seats

in 349-seat parliament, 2 MEPs.

Facebook support up

since April

17%

103,090

NORWAY

Right wing party

Progress Party:

has 29 seats in 169-seat parliment.

Facebook support up

since April

22%

83,170

DENMARK

Far-right.

Danish People’s Party:

Has 37 seats in 179-seat parliament

and 4 MEPs. Social media support up

76%

since April

58,290

Sources: Facebook, Spiegel, vocativ.com

Pictures: Associated Press, dpa via Newscom

Social media

driving right

wing in Europe

The rise of the far right across Europe is linked to the impact of social media, as a new generation of young supporters embraces hardline nationalist extremism and anti-immigrant groups

GERMANY

Four years ago German BfV

security agency estimated

there were 25,000 right-wing

extremists, of which 5,600

were neo-Nazis

Anti-Islamic movement

Pegida:

founded in Dresden, October 2014.

Since February, number of

supporters on its official Facebook

profile has grown by

13%

Facebook likes* Nov 2015

179,580

*Every time someone “likes”

a Facebook page or comment, it is

exposed to an average 136 other

people, who then can “like” it to others

Supporters of Pegida demonstrate

in Dresden, Germany, on

November 9, 2015

National Democratic

Party of Germany:

Neo-Nazi party has

one Member of

European Parliament

140,560

UNITED KINGDOM

Britain First:

Far-right, anti-Islamist,

nationalist party.

Facebook support

has grown

37%

since April

1,000,380

English Defence

League:

Far-right,

anti-Islamist.

Support has grown

since April

22%

232,000

HUNGARY

Jobbik demands sealing off refugee

camps and re-establishing

guarded borders

Extremist

Jobbik:

party is third largest

in National Assembly

301,460

FRANCE

Far-right.

Front National:

Has 24 MEPs. Facebook

support has surged

since April

66%

Leader

in polls for presidential election

is high

Marine Le Pen

281,320

AUSTRIA

Freedom Party:

Right-wing, anti-immigration.

Support up

since April

50%

260,360

SWEDEN

Sweden Democrats:

Anti-immigration. 49 seats

in 349-seat parliament, 2 MEPs.

Facebook support up

since April

50%

103,090

NORWAY

Right

Progress Party:

wing party has 29 seats in

169-seat parliment. Facebook

support up

22%

83,170

DENMARK

Danish People’s

Party:

Far-right. Has

37 seats in 179-seat parliament

and 4 MEPs. Social media

support up

since April

76%

58,290

Sources: Facebook, Spiegel, vocativ.com

Pictures: Associated Press, dpa, Newscom