Reading and education programs of the New Right in France and Germany: A comparative appraisal of the current situation in both countries

This article examines the educational and reading programs developed by the New Right in Germany and France as part of a broader far-right meta-political strategy aimed at reshaping cultural and ideological hegemony. Focusing on non-party actors such as think tanks, publishing houses, and educational initiatives, the study compares the German Neue Rechte and the French Nouvelle Droite with particular attention to their institutional frameworks and their shared emphasis on literature and reading practices. The analysis reconstructs how these movements contest the legitimacy of public education while establishing alternative pedagogical infrastructures that target audiences from early childhood to adulthood. By curating reading lists, anthologies, and educational formats, the New Right seeks to appropriate canonical literature and reframe it within an ethno-nationalist worldview. The article highlights transnational parallels and points to the strategic role of guided reading in far-right cultural politics.

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Publication Details

Journal
Journal of European Studies
Published
2026-04-02
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/00472441261435170
Primary Topic
German legal, social, and political studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Reading and education programs of the New Right in France and Germany: A comparative appraisal of the current situation in both countries

Cornelia Ruhe
Journal of European Studies
German legal, social, and political studies
article

Reading and education programs of the New Right in France and Germany: A comparative appraisal of the current situation in both countries

Cornelia Ruhe
article en

Abstract

This article examines the educational and reading programs developed by the New Right in Germany and France as part of a broader far-right meta-political strategy aimed at reshaping cultural and ideological hegemony. Focusing on non-party actors such as think tanks, publishing houses, and educational initiatives, the study compares the German Neue Rechte and the French Nouvelle Droite with particular attention to their institutional frameworks and their shared emphasis on literature and reading practices. The analysis reconstructs how these movements contest the legitimacy of public education while establishing alternative pedagogical infrastructures that target audiences from early childhood to adulthood. By curating reading lists, anthologies, and educational formats, the New Right seeks to appropriate canonical literature and reframe it within an ethno-nationalist worldview. The article highlights transnational parallels and points to the strategic role of guided reading in far-right cultural politics.

Journal of European Studies
University of Mannheim (DE)
Volkswagen Foundation
Quality Education
Openalex Percentile: Top 27%
German legal, social, and political studies
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Reading and education programs of the New Right in France and Germany: A comparative appraisal of the current situation in both countries — Cornelia Ruhe · Journal of European Studies (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS