UnHerd with Freddie Sayers Anton Jäger: The Far-Right's route to victory
Feb 19, 2026
Anton Jäger, historian and Oxford lecturer and author of Hyperpolitics, explores how politicization surged while institutions faded. He traces digital mobilization, the 2008 shock, Brexit and mass protests. He contrasts one-day online flare-ups with old party durability and considers why the right often wins in this new landscape.
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Repoliticization Without Institutions
- Hyperpolitics means repoliticization without reinstitutionalization, producing high engagement but weak institutions.
- This creates a novel hybrid where political energy disperses online rather than forming durable organizations.
2008 Crash And The Internet Sparked Mobilization
- Political engagement metrics (turnout, protests) rose sharply after 2010 and accelerated post-2020.
- The 2008–09 financial crash and the internet lowered mobilization costs and catalysed global politicization.
Mass Protests, Weak Organizational Roots
- Unlike the 1920s–30s, today's mass protests lack deep organizational roots and durable civil-society ties.
- Large one-day mobilizations disperse afterwards because participants lack shared institutional prehistory.
