The SoFRiED research project

Erkenntnisinteresse

The image shows a map of Europe in which EU member states are colored in four different shades. The map is titled “Far-right parties in EU governments, January 2026.” The legend explains the color coding as follows: yellow indicates “not represented,” orange indicates “opposition,” dark magenta represents “coalition partner,” and dark blue represents “governing party.” The map illustrates that in two EU countries far-right parties lead the government: Fratelli d’Italia in Italy and Fidesz in Hungary. In four additional countries—Finland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Croatia—far-right parties participate in government as coalition partners. In only two EU member states, Ireland and Slovenia, far-right parties are not represented at all, neither in government nor in opposition. The data shown reflect the situation as of January 2026. The map was created by Stephen Albrecht.

In recent years, several European democracies have experienced a political shift towards far-right parties. This development raises important questions about its consequences for welfare states and, consequently, for social work as a profession, a theory- and research-based practice, and an academic discipline. 

When dealing with government policies, social work in many EU countries is faced with the challenge of defending its discourse, services, institutions and practices, which align with human rights-oriented, professional, ethical, theoretical and transnationally agreed standards (IFSW, 2014, 2018). 

The research project Social Work and the Far Right in European Democracies (SoFRiED), funded by the German Hans-Böckler-Foundation and coordinated by Neubrandenburg University of Applied Sciences, provides comparative empirical insights into the influence of far-right politics on social work in three EU member states: Germany, Austria and Hungary (project duration: February 2025–January 2027).

Far-right parties have gained different levels of political power in these states. They either act as an opposition party (e.g. the AfD in Germany), participate in federal state governments (e.g. the FPÖ in Austria), or are part of the government and parliament (e.g. the Fidesz-KDNP in Hungary, which has been in power since 2010, and the party 'Our Homeland'). 

Based on the mixed-methods methodology of the first systematic, empirical research about the influence of the far right on social work in Germany and the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia (Gille/Jagusch, 2019) and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (Gille, Krüger & Wéber, 2022), the international comparison analyses the transformation of social work in the context of far-right influences. 

The project aims to inform and raise awareness among social work professionals, professional associations, academic communities and civil society actors about the scope and relevance of far-right discourses and practices rooted in racist and exclusionary ideologies. . 

While describing these influences in the three participating countries, the SoFRiED research group is collaborating with professional associations and social work networks to develop institutional responses and countermeasures to far-right ideologies and activities, with the ultimate goal of promoting human rights and democratic coexistence, in line with the global definition of, and professional ethics in, social work.

Methodology

After the conceptualization of a common questionnaire in Germany, Austria and Hungary, a quantitative survey was conducted in all three EU countries in the summer of 2025 using LimeSurvey, focusing on the manifestations of far-right influence on and in social work from the perspective of professionals. 

In the second methodological part of the research project, problem-centred interviews (Witzel, 2000) were conducted with social workers from as many fields of activity as possible in selected countries and regions, with a focus on rural areas. 

A third component consists of a document analysis of parliamentary materials from far-right parties addressing issues relevant to social work. In Germany and Austria, the study period covers four years (2021 to 2024) in order to capture political changes in the post-Covid period as well as current singular discourses of the extreme right. The document analysis for Hungary covers the period from 2018 to 2024 in order to reflect the current (second) term of the Orbán government, with a focus on changes in constitutional and social law as well as social policy. The text-based data obtained in the three components will be evaluated using an explanatory and structuring content analysis (Kuckartz & Rädikerm 2023).