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The Rise of Germany's New Right (full documentary) - PBS Frontline
Nov 4, 2025 #Documentary #Germany #Politics
Far-right leaders in Germany have risen to the brink of power. This documentary investigates how they got there, looking at the reasons behind the surge in support for their brand of hardline nationalist politics and the roles of Russia and the U.S.
This journalism is made possible by viewers like you. Support your local PBS station here: https://www.pbs.org/donate
Support for nationalist, anti-immigrant parties has surged across Europe in recent years — including in Germany, where far-right leaders have risen to the brink of power for the first time since World War II.
“The Rise of Germany’s New Right” examines the recent political ascendance of the country’s far-right Alternative for Deutschland (AfD) party — exploring how it has targeted younger voters using AI videos that play on fears about immigrants and crime, how it has called for the “remigration” of immigrants who entered Germany illegally and others who had been given temporary right to stay, and how it has won vocal support from influential figures including Elon Musk and U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance. The documentary also probes allegations that Russia boosted the AfD through what one journalist calls “disinformation warfare.”
As the film details, after World War II, Germany set out to reckon with its grim history, in part by banning Nazi symbols and slogans and criminalizing Holocaust denial. A political “firewall” was also established, with mainstream parties vowing not to work with far-right parties to govern. The documentary details how, decades later, members of the AfD have pushed back against this “remembrance culture,” become the second largest party in Germany’s parliament, and are calling for the dismantling of the “firewall,” arguing it has no place in a democracy.
Drawing on interviews with numerous AfD politicians, German intelligence service officials, political scientists, and journalists, “The Rise of Germany’s New Right” examines how and why the country reached this moment, and what it says about broader trends across Europe.
“The Rise of Germany’s New Right” is a FRONTLINE production with Mongoose Pictures in association with Evan Williams Productions. The correspondent, reporter, producer and director is Evan Williams. The producer is Hannah Congdon. The senior producer is Dan Edge. The editor-in-chief and executive producer of FRONTLINE is Raney Aronson-Rath.
Far-right leaders in Germany have risen to the brink of power. This documentary investigates how they got there, looking at the reasons behind the surge in support for their brand of hardline nationalist politics and the roles of Russia and the U.S.
This journalism is made possible by viewers like you. Support your local PBS station here: https://www.pbs.org/donate
Support for nationalist, anti-immigrant parties has surged across Europe in recent years — including in Germany, where far-right leaders have risen to the brink of power for the first time since World War II.
“The Rise of Germany’s New Right” examines the recent political ascendance of the country’s far-right Alternative for Deutschland (AfD) party — exploring how it has targeted younger voters using AI videos that play on fears about immigrants and crime, how it has called for the “remigration” of immigrants who entered Germany illegally and others who had been given temporary right to stay, and how it has won vocal support from influential figures including Elon Musk and U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance. The documentary also probes allegations that Russia boosted the AfD through what one journalist calls “disinformation warfare.”
As the film details, after World War II, Germany set out to reckon with its grim history, in part by banning Nazi symbols and slogans and criminalizing Holocaust denial. A political “firewall” was also established, with mainstream parties vowing not to work with far-right parties to govern. The documentary details how, decades later, members of the AfD have pushed back against this “remembrance culture,” become the second largest party in Germany’s parliament, and are calling for the dismantling of the “firewall,” arguing it has no place in a democracy.
Drawing on interviews with numerous AfD politicians, German intelligence service officials, political scientists, and journalists, “The Rise of Germany’s New Right” examines how and why the country reached this moment, and what it says about broader trends across Europe.
“The Rise of Germany’s New Right” is a FRONTLINE production with Mongoose Pictures in association with Evan Williams Productions. The correspondent, reporter, producer and director is Evan Williams. The producer is Hannah Congdon. The senior producer is Dan Edge. The editor-in-chief and executive producer of FRONTLINE is Raney Aronson-Rath.
PBS's website about this episode: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/documentary/the-rise-of-germanys-new-right/