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.
Authors
- Cornelia Ruhe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5662-9137)
Institutions
- University of Mannheim (DE)
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
Funders
- Volkswagen Foundation