Gigi D'agostino has a bone to pick with the German alt-right movement

Recently, the song “Bla bla bla” by Gigi D’Agostino has become an anthem of the German alt-right – as well as a trend on TikTok, where several young people dance to a modified version that nods to Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), the main far-right party in Germany. Just a few months ago, a video that showed some people chanting a racist slogan to the rhythm of “L’amour toujours”, another famous song by the Italian DJ, became a national issue. In the clip – which lasts just over ten seconds and was filmed in a bar in Sylt, a German island in the North Sea – you can hear the chant «Deutschland den Deutschen, Ausländer raus», meaning «Germany for Germans, foreigners out». Among those present, a young man is seen raising his arm in a way that seems to allude to the Nazi salute; the same person also places two fingers under his nose, a gesture believed to mimic Hitler's mustache. Local police have opened an investigation into the use of symbols belonging to unconstitutional organizations in Germany.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called the incident «disgusting», while Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said the video was a source of great shame for the country. But as the German weekly Der Spiegel points out, the melody of “L’amour toujours” is now almost automatically associated with the alt-right in Germany, so much so that on TikTok, accounts linked to Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) often use the song as background music for their videos – even without explicitly stating slogans. Because of this, the record label ZYX, which owns the rights to the song, filed a lawsuit against unknown individuals for incitement to hatred. The piece is now so closely linked to radical right-wing movements in Germany that UEFA had to ban its playing during the 2024 European Championship, despite “L’amour toujours” often being played at sports events due to its upbeat rhythm. Munich’s Oktoberfest did the same. However, the song itself has no political connotations: “L’amour toujours,” as the title suggests, is simply about love. For this reason, Gigi D’Agostino expressed surprise at the way the song is being used, but clarified that he is unable to take action, since – much to his regret – this is not formally a copyright violation.

Why the alt-right is so strong in Germany

The Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has become the most popular party in eastern Germany, where it recently won the regional elections in the state of Thuringia. This result stems from a variety of factors, such as the historical divide between East and West Germany, and the way AfD has positioned itself in areas that have felt neglected by the institutions. But this far-right party has also heavily focused on social media communication – especially on TikTok. Despite its ultra-nationalist and xenophobic positions, AfD strives to project a rather friendly and moderate image on the Chinese platform. As a result, in the European elections, the party managed to triple its support among those under 24. Unsurprisingly, two of the five most-followed political activists on TikTok are AfD members. Earlier this year, there was a heated debate in Germany, accompanied by large demonstrations, about the possibility of trying to ban AfD, under an article of the German constitution that prohibits parties that seek to undermine democracy. Although AfD is very popular in Germany, there is a widespread suspicion that it could pose a genuine threat to the Republic's existence. Several of its leaders and activists have close ties to neo-Nazi and illiberal circles: for this reason, the German intelligence services had put AfD under surveillance to assess its actual danger. Some party representatives have also been arrested for incitement to hatred and the use of Nazi symbols. In 1952, the German Constitutional Court managed to ban the Socialist Reich Party, the successor to the Nazi party, but doing the same with AfD would be particularly complex from a legal perspective and risky in political terms. According to several observers, banning a party that is nonetheless so popular today would end up being seen by many voters as an attempt at censorship, paradoxically favoring solidarity toward it.