The Lonely Vote: Youth and Far-Right Politics

A Generation Unheard, Seeking Belonging in Radical Places

The recent German elections have sent shockwaves through the political landscape, with an unsettling rise in support for far-right parties—particularly among young voters. This trend isn’t isolated to Germany; across Europe and beyond, the young generations, expected to champion progressive ideals, are increasingly turning to extremist politics.

Why? The answer isn’t simple, but one crucial, often overlooked factor is loneliness.

Every time I mention to people that loneliness isn’t just a concern for elderly people, but, the youth—people tend to be surprised, sometimes, even in disbelief. If you look at statistics globally, it’s the group between 18-29 that feels increasingly lonely—and with that, we have to always take into account that the current measurements of a complex, highly subjective emotional experience such as loneliness, culturally stigmatized and shameful, are far from being fully representative and optimal.

The 2024 loneliness barometer, published by the German Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women, and Youth, reveals that 55 percent of 16- to 23-year-olds often or always feel lonely. The consequences are severe: loneliness can lead to social isolation, depression, anxiety disorders, and even a weakened immune system, making individuals more vulnerable to physical illnesses. Many find themselves trapped in a vicious cycle, pushed to the margins of society, which in turn exacerbates their loneliness.

As one young man put it: “Out of ten people you talk to, four are just lying to you, another four have no idea what’s going on, and maybe two could tell the truth—but you never know. I don’t want to waste my energy getting to know someone, and investing time in them, only to be hit with disappointment after four weeks. I’m done with that.”

When trust in relationships erodes, so too does trust in the larger social and political fabric. Many feel that engaging with others, or even with democratic institutions, is simply not worth the effort. Another young woman reflected on this by saying, “Talking about problems is just a waste of time. Other people do that—I just go and play sports.”

“Young people can no longer define society," notes Melanie Weiser, from the think tank Das Progressive Zentrum. “They have no vision of what society looks like. As a result, they stop feeling represented by politics and become disengaged from democracy itself. After all, they do not feel a sense of belonging to the society that politics is supposed to represent.”

With Germany’s most recent historic voter turnout showing the awareness of what’s at stake—it is notable that now, also for the first time, there’s an anti-democratic party like the AfD (Alternative für Deutschland) as the second-strongest in the parliament, with doubled voter gains. At the same time, the unexpected winner sits on the other side of the spectrum, the Left party, having benefited from voter migration from both the SPD and the Greens, adding 560,000 and 700,000 votes respectively.

It’s young people between the ages of 18 and 24 who leaned to the extremes, casting their ballots more often for the far-right AfD and the Left Party. The more traditional parties of SPD (Social Democrats) and CDU (conservative Christian Democrats) received their lowest voter returns from younger voters.

Source: DW.com

This trend is not isolated to Germany. Across Europe, young voters are increasingly gravitating towards far-right parties. In France, Marine Le Pen’s National Rally garnered 30% of the youth vote, reflecting a significant shift in the political inclinations of the younger electorate. In Portugal, the far-right party Chega, which means “enough” in Portuguese, drew on young people’s frustration with the housing crisis, among other quality-of-life concerns. In Spain, the ultra-conservative Vox party increased its share of the youngest voters, too. In the U.S., Americans ages 18 to 29 swung toward President-elect Donald Trump in last year’s election, while they came to his coalition with sharply different views and interests than older conservatives or most top Republican leaders.

This signals a broader trend across Europe and beyond—a generation that feels increasingly alienated, disillusioned, and desperate for a sense of direction.

Economic insecurity, the climate crisis, and the fallout from a global pandemic have left a lot of young people feeling like they’re on their own. There’s a growing sense of frustration—governments that don’t deliver, institutions that feel out of touch, a world that seems more divided by the day.

So where is the link between loneliness and far-right voting behavior?

Karin Böllert, who led the research for the 17th Children and Youth Report for the German government, points to multiple factors that make young people more susceptible to far-right ideologies. She highlights the impact of loneliness, particularly the isolation experienced during the pandemic: “Loneliness accelerates the turn toward political actors who promise simple solutions.”

Additionally, she notes that young people are deeply affected by multiple crises, including climate change and the war in Ukraine. Many feel that mainstream politics is failing to address these issues and that their perspectives are not taken seriously. “Especially for young men, far-right youth cultures offer simple solutions, paired with a heteronormative, patriarchal understanding of masculinity,” she warns.

Compared to previous generations, Böllert and her research team also found that while young people remain optimistic about personal life decisions—such as finding a partner—their trust in social security has eroded.

“Young people are acutely aware that the welfare state is no longer a given,” she explains. Many have witnessed their families struggle as dreams of home ownership collapse and the cost of living rises, making financial independence increasingly difficult. This erosion of trust in social structures, combined with a deep sense of uncertainty, has fueled disenchantment with the political mainstream, leaving a vacuum that extremist ideologies are quick to fill.

A study by Das Progressive Zentrum confirms that loneliness correlates significantly with a belief in conspiracy theories, the justification of political violence, and authoritarian attitudes.

For instance, a third of lonely young people agree with the statement that “some politicians deserve it when anger against them turns into violence.”

Similarly, admiration for authoritarian figures—“I admire people who can dominate others”—is notably higher among the lonely (46%) than among the non-lonely (35%). Moreover, loneliness erodes trust—not just in institutions but in people themselves.

This distrust is compounded by the feeling that traditional politics does not take them seriously. Young people see mainstream politicians as distant, slow-moving, and disconnected from their realities. When faced with bureaucratic inefficiencies and institutional neglect, many turn to those who offer the illusion of clarity and control. The far-right excels at exploiting these emotions, positioning itself as the only force that truly “listens” to young people’s frustrations.

But the shift toward extremism isn’t happening in a vacuum—it’s happening in an era where social media, AI, and digital platforms play an outsized role in shaping how we experience connection and community.

Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash

Political Views Shaped By TikTok

From Estonia to Romania and Germany, TikTok feeds are inundated with fear-inducing content, attracting hundreds of thousands of followers and boosting extremist political factions.

Beyond individual influencers and viral content, far-right youth organizations have become increasingly strategic in their recruitment efforts. A recent study highlights how these groups leverage social media not just to spread their ideology but to foster a sense of belonging among disaffected youth. By creating online communities that blend entertainment with ideology, they offer a narrative of purpose and identity that mainstream politics often fails to provide

The power of these platforms lies not just in their ability to spread disinformation but in the way they cultivate a sense of community—however artificial it may be. In the U.S., this issue has been exacerbated by Big Tech alliances with political movements, enabling the unchecked proliferation of propaganda. The allure of these platforms lies in their ability to provide a sense of belonging and community, even if built on misinformation. The simple message of “we care about you” resonates deeply with young people who feel abandoned by mainstream politics.

Beyond social media, a new frontier of digital influence is emerging: AI-driven companionship. AI chatbots and virtual friends are increasingly marketed as solutions for loneliness, particularly among young people. The recent tragic case of a 14-year-old who withdrew from real life to be with his AI companion—ultimately leading to his suicide—raises urgent ethical questions:

What responsibility do AI companies bear when their technology replaces human relationships? And what happens as loneliness itself is becoming an industry?

With a rapidly growing market for AI-driven companionship, mental health apps, and digital therapy platforms, businesses won’t hesitate to capitalize on loneliness and social isolation, often profiting from the problem rather than addressing its root causes.

How do we learn to be civil (again)?

Where do we begin learning how to be civil, and how to practice democracy, if not in school? Where do we develop the right—and the freedom—to think? To discern, to debate, to hold multiple truths at once? Where do we learn to cultivate critical thinking—not as an abstract skill, but as a foundation for building relationships beyond sameness and simplistic ideologies?

Photo by Andrea Riondino on Unsplash

The reality, however—and I can only speak from my own experience and what parents tell me about their children—is that the classroom today, unless it's an alternative Montessori school or something similar, is still bound by rigid, outdated curricula and systemic pressures. There’s little space to foster genuine democratic participation and learning. Instead of being a place where young people engage with real-life complexity, schools too often reinforce disengagement—leaving students ill-equipped for meaningful civic participation.

And beyond school, in a culture where canceling replaces debating, where shitstorms dictate discourse, and where the fear of quick judgment looms, civility seems to have lost its way.

Jon Alexander, in his book Citizens, argues for a shift from seeing people as passive consumers to recognizing them as active participants in society.

Maybe for youth, it starts with something as simple as reading books again—from start to finish. Learning to depart from binary thinking and build critical thinking through real discussions, not just trading hot takes in TikTok stitches.

Maybe it’s about reconnecting with nature—through green social prescriptions like hikes, trips, or mushroom foraging. Or maybe it’s about finding a way back to play—through painting, music, clay, dance, theater, or LARPing.

Whatever gets us out into the world, bumping up against each other’s edges, having our views and ways of being gently mirrored and challenged by others.

How do we care for our youth and their loneliness?

This is not just a question for policymakers or educators—it’s a challenge for all of us. Friends, colleagues, neighbors, caregivers, institutions, communities, and society as a whole.

If loneliness is an emotional state, its political consequences are no less real. It breeds resentment, alienation, and a search for belonging—often in places where simplistic, radical narratives promise easy answers and a felt sense of stability and security.

We cannot look away, cannot downplay the problem, or dismiss it as a phase. We’ve all been there once, navigating the chaos of our teenage years and early 20s, feeling like the world was turning upside down.

What would have truly supported us during that time—especially in the context of today? How can we begin to bridge the gap between generations, not with judgment, but with love and understanding?

At our core, we all long to be seen, to be recognized, to find our place—especially when we are still figuring out who we are. So how do we close the distance instead of deepening it? How do we support each other instead of giving in to fear, blame, and shame?

Because addressing youth loneliness isn’t just about individual well-being. It’s about the future of democracy itself.

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The Oneliness Project is rooted in the belief that loneliness is both a personal and societal experience, we explore what it means to foster care, build meaningful relationships, and nurture a sense of interconnectedness—oneliness.

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