Meeting with the French youth organisation CNAJEP in Berlin: exchange on right-wing extremism and perspectives for action

The aim of the trip was to learn about action strategies and practice-orientated approaches in order to integrate these impulses into their own work and to promote exchange in an international context.

The programme included

• Excursion to Potsdam: the delegation visited Potsdam to find out about the commitment against right-wing extremism at regional and local level, for example through the alliance "Potsdam bekennt Farbe", in which the city administration is also involved, as well as through the organisation Omas gegen Rechts Potsdam. There was also a visit to the Potsdam Computer Centre as a place of artistic activism. Threats and hostility from the far-right and initiatives such as "Schöner leben ohne Nazis" (Living a better life without Nazis), which campaign against far-right structures, were the subject of an exchange with the Brandenburg State Youth Association.

• Exchange with specialist centres: A further item on the agenda included exchanges with the Turkish Right-Wing Extremism Unit (FaTrex) and the Radicalisation Prevention and Engagement in Nature Conservation Unit (FARN) to find out how these organisations deal with the challenge of right-wing extremism.

• Further professional exchange: In addition to discussions with the Federal Agency for Civic Education on activities in the field of extremism and information on funding opportunities from the Franco-German Youth Office, the programme included a presentation on the networking of the global right. Further visits and discussions took place at the Topography of Terror Documentation Centre as well as with the "Together for Democracy" alliance, the Friends of Nature Youth, the Association of Alevi Youth in Germany, the DGB Youth, the Young European Federalists Germany and the Solijugend.

In Germany and France, a radicalisation of the party landscape can be observed, which is reflected, among other things, in a stronger presence of far-right positions in public discourse. In both countries, there have been and still are debates on how to deal with far-right parties and structures; in France, debates on banning or disbanding mainly concerned smaller far-right groups such as the Génération Identitaire (2021), while a ban on the Rassemblement National was not enforced politically or legally.

Another parallel lies in the delegitimisation of civil society engagement. In France, climate activists have repeatedly been associated with terms such as "eco-terrorism" ("éco-terrorisme"). This rhetoric ties in with discourses about a supposedly "good" and "bad" civil society and can contribute to politically discrediting forms of protest. Youth organisations and civil society associations are also affected by this. The French youth organisation CNAJEP explicitly positions itself in favour of freedom of association, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly and, together with other actors, warns against restrictions on civil society's scope for action¹.

In France, organisations must also sign the "Contrat d'engagement républicain" when applying for public funding. This instrument was introduced with the law to strengthen republican principles and commits organisations to principles such as liberty, equality, fraternity, secularism and public order. It is criticised that individual provisions are open to interpretation and can therefore be misused politically. Reports from French civil society actors and the media document cases in which funding has been withdrawn or refused, particularly to ecological and politically committed organisations. Rule of law or administrative instruments are therefore not only used to protect democratic principles, but can also be used to weaken critical civil society organisations through stigmatisation, withdrawal of funding or political control.

This political journey was an important contribution to international exchange in the field of countering right-wing extremism and promoted dialogue between civil society actors. By sharing best practices and reflecting on strategies for action, the participants took away new ideas for their own work.

The French youth organisation CNAJEP

With the French youth organisation CNAJEP the Bundesjugendring has enjoyed decades of cooperation and friendship. Both youth rings jointly chair the advisory board of the Franco-German Youth Office.

1 CNAJEP, 02.05.2023, "Alerte sur les libertés associatives : la tribune", available online at: https://www.cnajep.asso.fr/actualites/alerte-sur-les-libertes-associatives-la-tribune/