Felix Haass
@felixhaass.bsky.social
Assistant Professor for Comparative Politics @ Humboldt University | political violence & democracy | the inner workings of dictatorships
https://felixhaass.de/
https://felixhaass.de/
Extending the analysis to 98 fatal right-wing attacks (1990–2020), we find: only high-intensity, nativist-motivated attacks — those targeting minorities — sparked strong media backlash, and only those cases reduced far-right support.
October 22, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Extending the analysis to 98 fatal right-wing attacks (1990–2020), we find: only high-intensity, nativist-motivated attacks — those targeting minorities — sparked strong media backlash, and only those cases reduced far-right support.
We replicated these findings in a survey experiment.
Respondents shown media coverage framing the attack as rooted in far-right ideology were less willing to vote for the AfD than respondents who were shown a non-political attack.
Respondents shown media coverage framing the attack as rooted in far-right ideology were less willing to vote for the AfD than respondents who were shown a non-political attack.
October 22, 2025 at 3:14 PM
We replicated these findings in a survey experiment.
Respondents shown media coverage framing the attack as rooted in far-right ideology were less willing to vote for the AfD than respondents who were shown a non-political attack.
Respondents shown media coverage framing the attack as rooted in far-right ideology were less willing to vote for the AfD than respondents who were shown a non-political attack.
Social media data tell a similar story: In the days after Hanau, thousands of users unfollowed AfD Facebook pages — which we interpret as a clear behavioral sign of distancing from the party independent of survey answers.
October 22, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Social media data tell a similar story: In the days after Hanau, thousands of users unfollowed AfD Facebook pages — which we interpret as a clear behavioral sign of distancing from the party independent of survey answers.
Our main empirical case: the 2020 Hanau attack in 🇩🇪, when a far-right extremist killed nine people of migrant background.
Media coverage linked the attack to the AfD’s rhetoric.
Afterwards, we find that AfD support fell by about 2 percentage points — roughly one-sixth of its voter base at the time.
Media coverage linked the attack to the AfD’s rhetoric.
Afterwards, we find that AfD support fell by about 2 percentage points — roughly one-sixth of its voter base at the time.
October 22, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Our main empirical case: the 2020 Hanau attack in 🇩🇪, when a far-right extremist killed nine people of migrant background.
Media coverage linked the attack to the AfD’s rhetoric.
Afterwards, we find that AfD support fell by about 2 percentage points — roughly one-sixth of its voter base at the time.
Media coverage linked the attack to the AfD’s rhetoric.
Afterwards, we find that AfD support fell by about 2 percentage points — roughly one-sixth of its voter base at the time.
📚Past studies disagree on electoral effects of right-wing terror— some find violence hurts far-right parties, others find it helps them.
We argue that it depends on media framing: when attacks are intense and clearly nativist, they can trigger a media backlash that turns voters away.
We argue that it depends on media framing: when attacks are intense and clearly nativist, they can trigger a media backlash that turns voters away.
October 22, 2025 at 3:14 PM
📚Past studies disagree on electoral effects of right-wing terror— some find violence hurts far-right parties, others find it helps them.
We argue that it depends on media framing: when attacks are intense and clearly nativist, they can trigger a media backlash that turns voters away.
We argue that it depends on media framing: when attacks are intense and clearly nativist, they can trigger a media backlash that turns voters away.
🚨 New article out!
“Right-Wing Terror, Media Backlash, and Voting Preferences for the Far Right” in @bjpols.bsky.social
👉 doi.org/10.1017/S000...
We (Alex De Juan, @juvoss.bsky.social & I) examine how right-wing attacks shape support for the far-right in Germany.
Short summary thread below 👇
“Right-Wing Terror, Media Backlash, and Voting Preferences for the Far Right” in @bjpols.bsky.social
👉 doi.org/10.1017/S000...
We (Alex De Juan, @juvoss.bsky.social & I) examine how right-wing attacks shape support for the far-right in Germany.
Short summary thread below 👇
October 22, 2025 at 3:14 PM
🚨 New article out!
“Right-Wing Terror, Media Backlash, and Voting Preferences for the Far Right” in @bjpols.bsky.social
👉 doi.org/10.1017/S000...
We (Alex De Juan, @juvoss.bsky.social & I) examine how right-wing attacks shape support for the far-right in Germany.
Short summary thread below 👇
“Right-Wing Terror, Media Backlash, and Voting Preferences for the Far Right” in @bjpols.bsky.social
👉 doi.org/10.1017/S000...
We (Alex De Juan, @juvoss.bsky.social & I) examine how right-wing attacks shape support for the far-right in Germany.
Short summary thread below 👇
Despite the combined chaos of moving homes, setting up things @HU and starting teaching this week, I dragged the family to an obligatory visit to the Brandenburg Gate. Little Thea was not impressed, though, but mostly hungry. 😅
April 14, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Despite the combined chaos of moving homes, setting up things @HU and starting teaching this week, I dragged the family to an obligatory visit to the Brandenburg Gate. Little Thea was not impressed, though, but mostly hungry. 😅
Super happy that my mail ballot for the German elections found its way to Norway and arrived in the mail today, two days *after* the actual election took place.
February 25, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Super happy that my mail ballot for the German elections found its way to Norway and arrived in the mail today, two days *after* the actual election took place.
Das ist in dem Zshg auch noch relevant I guess
January 30, 2025 at 12:14 PM
Das ist in dem Zshg auch noch relevant I guess
Aus Hamburg schreiben sie dass sie frühestens Anfang Februar verschicken...
January 30, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Aus Hamburg schreiben sie dass sie frühestens Anfang Februar verschicken...
My fantastic co-author Julian Voss has meticulously compiled municipality-level election results for Post-WW2 Western German elections (1949-1969) from historical records. What a great resource! Read the paper, use the data: osf.io/preprints/os...
January 11, 2025 at 1:02 PM
My fantastic co-author Julian Voss has meticulously compiled municipality-level election results for Post-WW2 Western German elections (1949-1969) from historical records. What a great resource! Read the paper, use the data: osf.io/preprints/os...
Great postdoc opportunity with my terrific co-author Alex De Juan at Osnabrueck University, Germany. 3+3 years, fully funded. If you're working on political violence and/or authoritarian politics you should apply!
Details: www.uni-osnabrueck.de/universitaet...
Details: www.uni-osnabrueck.de/universitaet...
November 8, 2024 at 12:21 PM
Great postdoc opportunity with my terrific co-author Alex De Juan at Osnabrueck University, Germany. 3+3 years, fully funded. If you're working on political violence and/or authoritarian politics you should apply!
Details: www.uni-osnabrueck.de/universitaet...
Details: www.uni-osnabrueck.de/universitaet...
Yeah, they explicitly name the bots as a reason for the invites system in their FAQ. I agree it's cumbersome, but it's actually a smart way to create a coordination device for getting entire communities to sign up, since invites permeate through the network
September 20, 2023 at 1:32 PM
Yeah, they explicitly name the bots as a reason for the invites system in their FAQ. I agree it's cumbersome, but it's actually a smart way to create a coordination device for getting entire communities to sign up, since invites permeate through the network