The Rise of Neo-Nazi Far Right in Former East Germany

Sorry, I didn't mean to blur the types of immigration. East Germany mostly attracted the migrants from Eastern Europe/Balkans/Baltic, whereas the Turks and others were mostly related to West Germany. Merely meant that many Germans have issues with immigration. [Also a lot of the initial immigration into East Germany moved to the West over time due to the desire for better conditions and the hostility received from the native populations in the East)

They've already got a foothold in most continental European nations. Anyway, just dealing with the economic considerations won't be enough, because regardless of how successful a nation is, there are always going to be a poor segment, or the working class segment, who believe themselves to be hard-done by (whether real or imagined). Wealth distribution, inequalities, and power distributions are emphasized in European nations, due to historical/traditional class divisions, which are reinforced in modern times due to the widespread access to higher education. People aren't ignorant anymore, and the internet ensures access to find out who the elite are in any country, and just how much influence they actually have.

The other problem is that democracy has become rather shaky with many people becoming disillusioned with the system. Corruption is a serious concern in a variety of western nations, as is the influence that lobby groups or the wealthy have over governance. There's also concerns about whether political parties, most of which were socialist leaning, have the interests of the electorate at heart, or whether they're following their own agendas.

There's a lot of anger in Europe right now, and it's not simply about economics. It's not even just about immigration. It's a culmination of decades of issues which have been allowed to slide to the next election, and the next, and the next... issues that affect common people, but are generally ignored, or just enough money is allocated to maintain the status quo, without actually resolving the problems.

The simple truth is that the far right appeals to many people because they are not represented by the mainstream parties who have failed many of the electorate. The other problem is that in many nations there's no real alternative to the mainstream/traditional parties or the far right.. so people are choosing the far right as an alternative option. It's a lot like the way many people in Ireland chose to support SF, simply because there weren't any other options.

The Far right groups are a result of decades of mismanagement by governments in a democratic system. The response to political efforts to weaken the power of the electorate but also a response to the growth of government regulation, and also the way the cost of living has increased so much, often without a return on service quality. Europe is rather expensive, and many people are wondering why governments are spending so much on things that don't truly benefit the native populations.

Lastly, the far right gives the impression of strong leadership.. it's probably not true, but people tend to associate them with powerful speakers, and authoritarian leadership styles, which appeals to many people... considering just how weak-willed we see many of our own leaders from other parties. That's especially true in nations with a historical connection with such leadership styles.

I wouldn't support the far right groups myself, but I can understand why they're gaining so much support.