‘Climate-Soviets,’ ‘Alarmism,’ and ‘Eco-Dictatorship’: The Framing of Climate Change Scepticism by the Populist Radical Right Alternative for Germany

2022/03/29 by Anne Küppers · 1 citation
Social Sciences · #Climate Change Communication and Perception #Social Media and Politics #Populism, Right-Wing Movements

paper · doi:10.1080/09644008.2022.2056596

openalex publication_date 2022/03/29 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29

Abstract

This article conducts a case study of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) to explore the link between ideology and climate change scepticism. Employing qualitative data analysis on a sample of texts from the party’s membership magazine, this article studies the AfD’s climate change communications. The goal is twofold: (1) to explore which frames are used by the most visible sceptic voice in Germany; (2) to investigate how sceptic frames reflect the AfD’s populist radical right ideology. Overall, the findings reveal that the AfD frequently connects its climate change scepticism to its host ideologies, especially radical right-wing and free-market ideology. Accordingly, climate change mitigation policies are often attacked because they are claimed to harm Germany’s national interest or economy. In contrast, populism does not play a prominent role. That is the case despite the AfD frequently talking of people-centrism, and the ‘core people’ appear to be at the heart of its framing strategy.

Citations

• The Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers
• The AfD: Finally a Successful Right-Wing Populist Eurosceptic Party for Germany?
• Shifting public opinion on climate change: an empirical assessment of factors influencing concern over climate change in the U.S., 2002–2010
• The Politicization of Climate Change and Polarization in the American Public's Views of Global Warming, 2001–2010
• The rise of the German Eurosceptic party Alternative für Deutschland, between ordoliberal critique and popular anxiety
• Right-wing populism and the climate change agenda: exploring the linkages
• Varieties of Populist Parties and Party Systems in Europe: From State-of-the-Art to the Application of a Novel Classification Scheme to 66 Parties in 33 Countries
• The role of populist attitudes in explaining climate change skepticism and support for environmental protection
• Nationalist ideology, rightwing populism, and public views about climate change in Europe
• Global warming and polarization. Wind turbines and the electoral success of the greens and the populist radical right

Cited by

• Alternative for Germany [wikipedia]

Related

• Climate Sceptics or Climate Nationalists? Understanding and Explaining Populist Radical Right Parties’ Positions towards Climate Change (1990–2022)
• Scepticisms and beyond? A comprehensive portrait of climate change communication by the far right in the European Parliament
• Right-wing populism and the climate change agenda: exploring the linkages
• What explains the relationship between populist radical right attitudes and opposition to climate policy?: structural vs. ideological factors
• Climate obstruction in Germany: Framing and scare strategy beyond denial – the Heating Law debate