Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Political Sociology and Social Policy

Published in: Brinkmann, H.U., Reuband, KH. (Hg.) Rechtspopulismus in Deutschland. Springer VS, Wiesbaden

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-33787-2_8

This book article examines the extent to which regionally different factors can explain the electoral success of the AfD in East and West Germany. We argue that status anxiety is a central motive for voting for a right-wing populist party, but that this has different causes in East and West Germany. In West Germany, the establishment of the AfD is primarily a reaction to increased job insecurity among former labor market insiders. In East Germany, the feeling of loss of status and erosion of social security is not limited to the specific group of labor market insiders, but is a universal, collective experience due to the massive labor market dislocations after reunification.

Our detailed analysis of electoral and socioeconomic data at the regional level - complemented by individual-level data - confirms that status anxiety largely explains the AfD's success in Germany, but is triggered by different experiences in East and West Germany. In West Germany, the AfD is particularly successful in regions with former labor market insiders, while in East Germany the experience of mass unemployment after reunification is central to AfD's electoral success.