These days only one word will do for a politician hoping for a career on the German far right: “remigration”. It is hollered at events hosted by the Alternative for Germany (afd) party, plonked on merch and plastered all over social media. Its meaning can be elusive. But its spread from the extremist fringe towards the mainstream illustrates how far-right groups are extending their influence in democracies. It also presents the afd, which leads some opinion polls, with a dilemma.
This is unlikely to stop “remigration” from spreading. In Austria the far-right Freedom Party has embraced the term with gusto. In Italy the Committee for Remigration and Reconquest, a far-right group, recently caused an uproar in parliament with a petition for mass deportations and denaturalisation. Donald Trump’s administration loves the word: “All America wants for Christmas is remigration,” posted the Department of Homeland Security in December. As for Mr Sellner, he is busy setting up an “Institute for Remigration”. “We can change the public debate, and in the end we will change all politics,” he says. Many people in Europe who might not count as natives fear he is right.