Germany's far-right and hard-left politics boomerang back to the horseshoe theory
irishtimes.com
Germany's political extremes are colliding in ways that prove the horseshoe theory right — the far-right and hard-left aren't opposites, they're neighbors.
Horseshoe TheoryPolitical ExtremismOverton WindowPopulism
Theory Briefing
- The horseshoe theory, coined from 1930s Germany, argues that far-left and far-right ideologies bend toward each other rather than standing apart.
- Germany's resurgent AfD and hard-left BSW share eerily similar anti-establishment rhetoric, validating the horseshoe model in real time.
- The theory challenges the standard left-right spectrum, suggesting political extremism itself — not ideology — is the true common denominator.