“Even at higher levels”
Right-wing extremist content is becoming more and more commonplace, according to an expert
25.05.2024, 07:08 a.m.
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Extreme slogans in public? No problem: social norms are broken without objection, as expert Pia Lamberty notes. And this is the case throughout society, including among those with higher education and in leadership positions.
According to expert Pia Lamberty, the Sylt video with racist slogans shows a normalization of right-wing extremist content in society. “Without any form of opposition, social norms are simply broken,” says the co-director of the Center for Monitoring, Analysis and Strategy (Cemas), which investigates radicalization tendencies and conspiracy theories on the Internet. “People can express extreme slogans in public without hesitation.”
The racist incident at Pentecost in a posh restaurant on Sylt has sparked outrage across the country. In the short video, which was shared on social media, young people chant “Foreigners out” and “Germany for the Germans” to the party hit “L’amour toujours” by Gigi D’Agostino. State security is investigating. In recent months, there have been repeated incidents in which Nazi slogans were shouted to the song – for example in Bavaria and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
“That also does something to the brain”
The song “L’amour toujours” is now increasingly associated with racist slogans, says Lamberty. “That does something to the brain.” In this way, right-wing extremists have managed to gain acceptance of such slogans in society at large. For the Cemas expert, the case makes it clear: “Right-wing extremism is not just a problem that you see in East Germany or among people with lower incomes, but also among the upper classes.”
The main threat to those affected is the structural power that these people could potentially wield. The video shows: “Racism also comes from people who have studied at universities or are in management positions.” Right-wing extremism and racist attitudes are something that can be found throughout society.