As the far-right gains ground in Europe and beyond, one demographic in particular has caught the attention of these movements: young people. Aware of their influence, certain political parties—such as in Belgium—are developing targeted strategies to attract a generation searching for meaning and identity.
Specialist in extremist, populist, and conspiratorial discourse, political scientist François Debras offers a clear-eyed analysis of these dynamics. Holding a PhD in political and social sciences from the University of Liège, he also teaches at Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris and has published extensively on radical contemporary rhetoric.
A Political Shift
To understand the current transformations, François Debras begins by revisiting the historical foundations of Belgium’s political landscape: “In Belgium, traditional ideological landmarks were based on three pillars: Catholic, Socialist, and Liberal. But we are increasingly moving away from that,” he explains.
“Today, we live in a society that is less ideologically structured. Some parties even try to erase all ideological references, whether in their name or branding,” he adds, citing the Flemish party Vooruit, which no longer explicitly identifies as Socialist.
This shift goes hand in hand with a change in how parties engage public opinion. Rather than aligning with broad ideological frameworks, political movements increasingly rally around specific issues—climate change, Palestine, Islamism, and others. To reach young people, social media has become essential. François Debras notes in his research a clear migration of information: young people are turning away from traditional media in favor of digital platforms that are more direct, visual, and community-driven.
A Key Channel
In the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, political parties and media outlets adhere to a clear principle: not giving far-right ideas a platform. This media cordon sanitaire—extended to journalists across all formats—aims to limit the visibility and normalization of such ideologies. In theory, this principle also applies online.
However, as François Debras points out, political parties in Belgium and elsewhere have quickly grasped the strategic value of these platforms. Far-right movements in particular see them as an unprecedented opportunity: they can spread their ideas without going through traditional media—and therefore without facing editorial filters or ethical scrutiny.
The case of Vlaams Belang is especially revealing: between 2019 and the end of 2023, the party spent over 5.6 million euros on Meta platform ads—70% more than any other Belgian party. It’s a highly effective strategy when you consider that more than 83% of Belgians aged 16 to 24 use Instagram daily.
Subtle Normalization
But beyond massive spending, the far right also invests in subtler, less overtly political content. Debras refers to this as “political striking”: a way of politicizing everyday life without making it obvious. “Within certain online communities—focused on fitness, nutrition, or hypermasculine aesthetics—codes, references, and narratives are shared. And these create implicit links to specific political ideologies,” he explains.
These seemingly innocuous posts particularly affect adolescents, who are in the midst of forming their identities. They often spread skewed or even dangerous worldviews—without ever presenting themselves as political. The influence is quiet, insidious, yet powerful.
Debras also warns of another risk: ideological overinterpretation. He cautions against overanalyzing behavior or aesthetic choices. A recent example is Léna Situations: at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, the French influencer was accused of “Islamist entryism” for wearing a long dress and headscarf. This kind of interpretive drift exposes the fragility of public debate, where the implicit can be weaponized both to attract and to discredit.
Global Phenomena
These phenomena, though examined here through Belgium’s landscape, home to François Debras, can be observed globally. During the 2024 U.S. presidential race — nicknamed the “podcast election” due to candidates’ heavy reliance on new media to reach younger audiences — a clear imbalance in narrative reach emerged. The right, in particular, demonstrated highly effective strategies for capturing popular attention, often outpacing their progressive opponents in digital influence.
In a deeply polarized American context, the subtle instrumentalization of online content is shaping youth perceptions more than ever, making younger voters one of the fastest-growing demographics to lean right at the ballot box. This trend has been facilitated by the loosening of content moderation policies by tech giants, allowing space for hate speech and extremist rhetoric to circulate more freely. Amplified by algorithms prioritizing engagement, these narratives gain traction quietly but powerfully — reinforcing ideological dominance without always being recognized as such.
In the face of such complexity, François Debras calls for education in nuance and critical thinking. At a time when social media shapes political perceptions under the radar, understanding these mechanisms and equipping young people to resist them has never been more urgent.
