ABSTRACT
This chapter studies the role of far-right movement-party strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic by examining the case of the Alternative for Germany (AfD). Almost since the party's foundation, AfD politicians have reached out to anti-immigration protestors such as PEGIDA but increasingly also to those that mobilize on other issues, such as the ‘anti-Corona’ protestors of Querdenken. The chapter makes three key arguments. First, in terms of movement-party strategy, instead of marking a rupture for the party, the pandemic allowed for the continuation of long-term strategic approaches: For AfD, its relationship to street protestors has rather remained ‘business as usual’. Second, this strategic continuity has also led to the continuation of strong intra-party conflicts, with key figures rejecting cooperation with activists: Movement-party relationships have constituted a significant source of intra-party conflict. Third, going beyond AfD internal affairs, cooperation of parts of AfD with Querdenken has also led to the further polarization of party competition, as mainstream parties denounced the AfD for its proximity to Querdenken. As a growing number of far-right parties in western Europe are adopting movement-party strategies, the findings are also of relevance for understanding the far right beyond Germany.
