Right-Wing Future Imaginaries

On the Iconic Articulation of Ethno-Cultural Notions of »the People« in Right-Wing Populist Visions of the Future

Abstract

In this paper, I argue for a hermeneutic and communication modality-sensitive approach to right-wing populist future imaginaries in the context of the German party Alternative für Deutschland (Alternative for Germany). To this end, I analyze two exemplary social media graphics from the party’s 2025 federal election campaign. In a first step, I examine the two image-text compositions using a social and cultural studies-informed visual hermeneutic methodology. The analysis reveals that the iconic material exerts its effect precisely in and through its iconicity and should therefore not be regarded merely as a visual illustration of predominantly text-based right-wing populist future imaginaries. In a second step, I compare the image of »the people« conveyed in the visual material with the concept of »the people« articulated in the party’s corresponding manifesto. I show that the visual material constructs an ethnoculturally defined image of »the people«, whereas the manifesto relies on cultural criteria of belonging. I interpret this as an indication of the relevance of the communication modality for the articulation of politically sensitive content.