Bucerius Law School

Angelique Geray & Sally Lisa StarkenReading and moderated discussionThe far-right is no longer a fringe movement when it shifts debates, recruits young people, attacks institutions, and begins to shape governments in Europe and the USA. How does this movement function from within? And what can we learn from countries where democracies are already under massive pressure?This evening, two authors meet, approaching the same topic from very different directions. Angelique Geray researched undercover in the far-right scene. She attended demonstrations, rallies, and clandestine meetings, delving into codes, networks, social media strategies, and the mechanisms used to approach and radicalize young people. Her book, "Undercover unter Nazis. Als Frau im Herz der rechtsextremen Szene" (Undercover Among Nazis. As a Woman in the Heart of the Far-Right Scene), is a report on the readiness for violence of a scene that often presents itself differently in public than it functions internally.In "Wenn der rechte Rand regiert. USA, Italien, Polen – Deutschland: Demokratien am Kipppunkt? – Was wir jetzt für unsere Zukunft tun müssen" (When the Far-Right Rules. USA, Italy, Poland – Germany: Democracies at the Tipping Point? – What We Must Do Now for Our Future), Sally Lisa Starken examines democracies where authoritarian forces have long become political reality or are dangerously close to it. Her question is not just how democracies tip. But what still holds them together.Two book presentations and a discussion: on the question of how to talk about right-wing extremism without amplifying it – and without underestimating it.Angelique Geray works as an investigative journalist for RTL; her undercover reports are also published in STERN. Previously, she worked for SPIEGEL, NDR, and BILD, among others.Sally Lisa Starken is a journalist, author, podcaster, and one of the most influential voices in political education on social media. Her book "Zu Besuch am rechten Rand" (Visiting the Far-Right) was number 1 on the SPIEGEL bestseller list.