De Raoul Roos (RTL, riets am Bild) mëcht e Selfie mam Tom Weidig (ADR, lénks am Bild, soss riets). (Screenshot RTL)

How should the media report on right-wing extremist ideologies and right-wing parties? Are the media themselves at risk from strong right-wing extremist parties?

This is a much-discussed question in most European countries - and in Luxembourg?

How does RTL report on the ADR?

In Luxembourg, the ADR, at the latest with the orientation for the last elections and various scandals, aims to be a right-wing radical party. All the newspapers in the country find their own way of dealing with the ADR and positioning themselves, according to their own editorial line. How the ADR is portrayed in the public debate in Luxembourg, however, lies mainly in the hands of RTL, which has the most significant influence through a television monopoly and absolute dominance in radio and online information.

Critical reporting or even just political issues are generally not really on the menu on RTL. RTL is more apolitical than neutral. There is a deliberate attempt to keep content and ideological issues to a minimum. Politics is turned into a people story on RTL, RTL produces infotainment, with a clear emphasis on the entertainment side. The way in which these right-wing radicals are dealt with is also the same. So we talk to ADR front-runner Fred Keup cooking spaghetti carbonara, to the new ADR MP Tom Weidig about his hobbies (chess and meditation) talking and to Alexandra Schoos walking through the forest - all without a critical question, without any order. In the most recent report on the ADR New Year’s Eve party, RTL journalist Jeannot Ries limited himself to holding the microphone to Fred Keup and letting him speak freely. Not only is there a lack of critical background, but there is an overall depoliticization of the reporting.

Education work against right-wing extremism as part of the „public service“?

There are isolated exceptions on RTL, which are precisely because RTL generally hardly allows criticism of the ADR. In September last year, RTL journalist Fanny Kinsch uncovered the connections between ADR and Civitas and raised it during the election campaign. Both the radio and TV report and the additional interviews were done by the journalist practically alone. The subsequent case shows that this single moment of critical reporting actually did not seem to be intentional.

ADR politician Fernand Kartheiser is filing a lawsuit before the press supervision authority because of this report, but this fact is not addressed by RTL. On the contrary, RTL gives Fernand Kartheiser a lot of space to respond to the criticisms leveled at him by other media outlets such as 100komma7. RTL also does not publicly defend its journalist against the criticisms of the ADR, which sees the report as a political attack and tries to use the discussion as a platform for its criticism of the „mainstream media“.

RTL only takes a cautious position when it is not about Luxembourg. In a recent „Commentary“ RTL journalist Anne Wolff takes a dig at the German AfD and speaks of an „opportunity“ to „counteract the trend to the right“ before the European elections, among other things. The fact that the ADR is on the verge of a historic success in the European elections and will join the faction of the Italian and Spanish neo-fascists remains uncommented. That is also the case.

Public media are at the center of a political debate across Europe.

Armin Wolf is an Austrian television presenter and journalist, he moderates the most famous news format „ZIB 2“ on the public channel ORF. In Austria, Armin Wolf is also known for his criticism of right-wing extremism, especially in the form of the far-right party FPÖ. For his work for press freedom, Armin Wolf has been often awarded. Armin Wolf also shows how the FPÖ is making the media, especially the public sector, a subject of the election campaign. A number of media outlets have expressed solidarity with Armin Wolf, including the ARD magazine „Monitor“.

A clear stance against right-wing extremism is not automatically found among all service audiences, but a clear line from right-wing extremist parties against public sector broadcasters is nevertheless necessary. The AfD wants to privatize ARD and ZDF in Germany, Marine Le Pen has the same proposal in France. In Italy, where the Fratelli d’Italia are in power, the public service was not only weakened, but restructured in a „coup“ and the most important positions were filled with right-wing extremists.

There is no imminent danger in Luxembourg that the ADR would come to power - but this party has now put itself in key positions to gain influence. „Media that receive state press support should also give space to opinions that do not correspond to their own „editorial line“,“ the ADR demands in its election program, thus questioning editorial independence.

RTL: No help in the fight against right-wing extremism

In Luxembourg, RTL, a private company, is supposed to fulfill the „Public Service Mission“. In this regard, the private media have historically been more right-wing. They are not obliged to democracy but to the wallets of their shareholders and see the public media as competition that should be suppressed. RTL is mentioned here in a row with the media of Silvio Berlusconi and Rupert Murdoch. Helmut Kohl promoted RTL into private television in order to suppress the public media. Especially when it comes to the issue of dealing with right-wing extremism and defending, it is fatal to democracy that Luxembourg has a private medium instead of a public one.

As a private broadcaster, where commercial interests have always been at the forefront, RTL, like other commercial and tabloid media, is prone to right-wing sensationalism. The police are not questioned, sexist content increases audience numbers, right-wing polemics (e.g. security in the Gare district) are pushed and car shows celebrate material possessions and status symbols. It is not surprising that some of the people who shape the discourse on the extreme right in Luxembourg today come from the ranks of RTL. Bas Schagen, a former RTL journalist, was one of the most active Corona conspiracy theorists in Luxembourg, the EX-RTL journalist Dan Hardy is now vice-president of the ADR, hosts „ADR-TV“ and is running for the party in the elections. He could even return to the Chamber if Fernand Kartheiser makes the jump to the European Parliament. Guy Kaiser, former editor-in-chief of RTL Radio Luxembourg, runs a prominent right-wing blog on which he shares right-wing conspiracies. For example, the one that „the media“ is infiltrated.

A dangerous situation

The ideas of an increasingly radical right-wing are also widespread in Luxembourg. Where pluralism of opinion ends and right-wing conspiracies and anti-democratic and anti-human propaganda begin, not only the courts but also the media must face up to this in this country.