Keeping Track Videos 2

Currently Playing: Germany’s AfD and the Return of European Nationalism

Eighty years after World War II, the far right is rising again in Europe. Is their recent success a sign of a geopolitical shift? On this episode of Talking Geopolitics, GPF Chairman George Friedman joins host Christian Smith to discuss the AfD’s regional victory in Germany, how fading historical guilt and tensions over cultural identity serve as unifying populist forces, and how similar movements in France and Britain call back to pre-WWI national posturing. Also: NATO obsolescence, Eastern Europe, and Russia. Episode recorded on September 10, 2026. Learn more about GeoEconomic Lens and access the first issue for free at https://geopoliticalfutures.com/lens/introducing-lens/. Learn more about GPF and subscribe to our free newsletter at http://www.geopoliticalfutures.com/gpf-newsletter. 0:00 Rise of Right-Wing Populism in Europe 2:04 Post-WWII European Politics, Rise of the Far Right 6:53 AfD Election Results, Germany’s Political Shift 11:54 Why Is the Far Right Gaining Popularity in Europe? 12:42 Mass Migration & European National Identity 16:25 AfD, Russia, & European Security Policy 20:46 US Strategy, the Cold War, & European Geopolitics 24:47 Sovereign National Interests & Europe’s Political Realignment 26:12 NATO, Western Cohesion, & Europe’s Strategic Shift 30:57 European Rearmament & US-Polish Strategic Relations 34:33 Hungary’s Foreign Policy & Strategic Position in Europe 36:37 Hungary, Russia, & the Future of European Geopolitics