De-constructing Gender and Re-constructing Europe: Populism and Anti-gender Discourse in Germany
9th International Conference on Gender Studies “Tracing Gender: Exploring History and Shaping Future”, Gazimagusa, Kıbrıs (Kktc), 3 - 05 Nisan 2025, ss.54, (Özet Bildiri)
- Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Özet Bildiri
- Basıldığı Şehir: Gazimagusa
- Basıldığı Ülke: Kıbrıs (Kktc)
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.54
- Açık Arşiv Koleksiyonu: AVESİS Açık Erişim Koleksiyonu
- TED Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the newly founded left-wing populistconservative Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) have reshaped Germany’s political landscape. The AfD emerged as Germany’s second-strongest party in the 2024 European Parliament elections, while BSW secured 6.2% of the vote, challenging Germany’s traditional role as a bastion of Europhile mainstream politics. As Germany’s political trajectory has profound implications for European integration, the ascent of these parties necessitates a closer examination of their ideological and discursive strategies. This paper synthesizes insights from Critical Studies on Men and Masculinities and Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA) to analyze how both parties construct political masculinities and mobilize anti-gender discourse within their broader populist narratives. We examine how the AfD and BSW articulate boundaries of inclusion and exclusion concerning Europe, democracy, and national sovereignty, focusing on the role of gendered tropes in their rhetoric. Politics is inherently contested, and we therefore rely on narrative analysis—engaging with setting, characterization, and employment—to unpack how these parties frame European integration and national identity through masculinist and gendered imaginaries. Drawing on speeches, official documents, and public statements from September 2023 (BSW’s establishment) to June 2024 (EP elections), we trace the intersections of populism, masculinity, and anti-gender discourse in Germany’s evolving political landscape. By reframing Europe and Germany through gendered lenses, this paper contributes to scholarly debates on radical populism, anti-gender movements, and the gendered dimensions of European politics.