Nearly 30 pct of Germans support new far-right ideology: Report

A recent survey, carried out by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation and Bielefeld University Institute of Conflict and Violence Research in Germany, has revealed that 28 percent of Germans internalize "New Right" ideologies, which include Neo-Nazi and other right-wing elements.

In addition, 84 percent of the right-wing Alternative for Germany Party (AFD) supporters aligns themselves with the "new right," according to the research that involved 896 participants between ages 16 and 95.

The survey found that 40 percent of the respondents were of the opinion that Islam was secretly infiltrating German society.

Meanwhile, 28 percent of the participants also thought that they were deceived by the ruling politicians and it was not possible to freely articulate their ideas.

According to researchers who conducted the study titled, "Divided center voter-Hostile situation," the new right ideology includes the concepts such as "identity" and "resistance" as well as nationalist thoughts.

The research also indicated that the new right is gradually gaining ground, instead of the far-right in Germany. It further pointed out that the new right also argued that Islam was infiltrating German society, that ideas were imposed, as well as German institutions were illegal and deceitful.

The view that Germany should part ways with the EU and the call for resistance to the current policy was also supported by parts of the German nation, as indicated in the research.

Meanwhile, the research found the respondents to be moderate against Syrian refugees. Some 56 percent of them thought the acceptance of Syrian refugees as positive, whereas 24 percent identified it as both good and bad. In contrast, a fourth of the respondents indicated that living standards in Germany might fall due to the refugees.

In the light of the research, near 20 percent of the respondents were against Islam and 50 percent were prejudiced about the refugees.

In addition, a huge difference was observed between the east and west part of Germany. According to the research, prejudice, xenophobia and anti-Islam were more common in eastern Germany.

The findings come at a time when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's recent comment, comparing Germany's ban on rallies by Turkish politicians to "practices reminiscent of the Nazi era," was met with criticism by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.