With calculated rhetoric and deliberate deception, the AfD shifts public discourse to the right, undermines democratic processes, and spreads division and hostility. In public, their representatives appear as dominant figures, relying on provocation, humiliation, and displays of power. The party no longer hides its anti-democratic goals—it openly embraces them.
Why do far-right parties like the AfD attract more and more people? One reason: They offer their supporters the feeling of being on the »right« side and of having agency. For many, fascism and right-wing extremism are not repulsive, but attractive—because they promise belonging and moral superiority.
With his long-term observation »Democracy Dies in Daylight«, laif photographer Rafael Heygster received one of the World Press Photo Award 2025 in the category Stories. On assignment for DER SPIEGEL magazine, he documents in impressive photographs how the AfD stages itself at public events and invites viewers to critically reflect on the mechanisms and effects of these performances.
The photo series serves as an invitation to engage in dialogue—about how we deal with right-wing extremism and the defense of our democracy.
