The real story isn’t young men supposedly voting far right. It’s what young women are up to | Cas Mudde

‘RHe is the right -wing children. ” this It seems that The new consensus on extremist right -wing policy mushroom In many articles and podcasts. But the focus of the media obsessed on young people who claim to claim to rise the extreme right not only a experimental defect – it lacks a more important shift in public opinion among young people. While many investigative studies show a large gap between the sexes to support advanced right -wing parties and policies, they are located Young Those who stand out as more interesting politically, turning into larger numbers than the left.

The idea that young people in general, and young people in particular, are inadvertently supporting the extremist right present for a period of time. In a classic study of 2012, the German political scientist Kay Arzheimer’s “typical” voter of the right -wing parties in Europe described “as”.Male, Young (the nest), from moderate educational achievement And anxiety from immigrants and immigration. “ It is used repeatedly to explain Donald Trump’s ascension, while there was an explosion in Europe in articles claiming that young people, especially YouthIt is “the leadership of extremist right support”. But is the last rise in the maximum right in Europe due to the inappropriate support for young people? Did the youth become really more right?

Support levels of extreme right -wing ends among young people are already higher than ever in many cases. but Articles In this topic, she often fails to mention that the right -wing extremist parties have increased their support total, This support between other age groups is at least high. A study of European elections 2024 Even show Less support for extremist right -wing parties among young voters (between the ages of 16 and 29) among the older voters. More importantly, while the youth voted for the right -wing right parties in numbers similar to the oldest men, young women voted less on extremist right -wing parties of older women.

most research He explains that young people – women and men – have more progressive values ​​than previous generations. While there is The Great Sex Gap Among young people, the main reason for this is not a right -wing turn among young people, but a sharp turn among young women, as Gabi Hinspiev pointed out in real awareness. The last column For the commandment.

The media, however, choose to focus on young people that shows the view of males that still dominate society, which means only that all men do or believe that it is considered important in nature and deserves academic and political attention, but also puts men as a rule. This ends with enhancing the horizons of the extreme right: Given that men are the rule, what they are supposed to do or believe is “natural”, which means that all politicians must reach “logical” policies to meet their needs.

In order to be clear, the “children” are not “right”, but they are not well. Several studies have found that young people struggle In terms of education, mental health and work. Politically, research He appears While young people do not vote more for extremist right -wing parties than older men, they do so It is considered Voting to the right -wing extremist ends in much larger numbers. Moreover, they are more Supply to To “modern sexual discrimination” – denial that women are still discriminated against and rejects the demands of increased gender equality.

Of course, it is important to better understand these developments, especially given the threat posed by the extreme right of liberal democracy. But this should not lead us to reduce or even ignore the most obvious shift to the left. Young women are more supportive of abortion or feminist rights than young people and even older women should not be surprising, given that these issues affect them directly and personal. However, they are also More anxious About the environment and more Supportive From redistribution and a larger role for the state. Why this?

This is not just an academic question: It is a political opportunity. The central left parties followed the male view of chasing an ancient interpretation of the “working class” voters (slightly defined as white men who have social and cultural views). This electoral strategy pushes politics to the right. Moreover, such as contracts of academic research He appearsIt works mainly to help extremist right -wing parties while hurting the left parties in the middle, which ended up to the loss of progressive voters (youth, females), and hardly acquire the (male) voters who judge it.

Focusing on the priorities and values ​​of voters (such as measures to combat the climate crisis and strengthen the state of luxury), rather than joining reactionary policy on the far right, It will have two main applications of progressive policy in general and for left -wing parties in particular. First, this political debate will turn: We will talk more about the fight against the climate crisis, for example, and we will spend less time in the devil of immigrants. Second, the young women are given a reason to come out and vote in larger numbers, which is prominentAnd young women also refrain from voting than young people. ”The opportunity there to take.

• Cas Mudde is Professor Wade Shelton Ugaf for International Affairs at the University of Georgia, and author of the book ” The far right today