Mapping the Illiberal Right Media Sphere

Purpose

This page is meant to document how the illiberal right media sphere in Europe operates. It was originally created as an appendix to my Substack article, "Countering Illiberalism," but will be expanded and updated over time.

The media strategy of illiberal parties can be understood in three layers. First, there are their official social media accounts and affiliated outlets, which exist to directly promote the party line. Second, there is a substantial layer of formally independent media organizations that maintain close ties to these parties. Third, there is a broader ecosystem of influencers and media figures who operate independently but consistently amplify similar talking points, often gaining access to interview party representatives.

It is also worth noting the extent of cross-pollination with the MAGA movement in the United States.

As the case study will show, these three layers are not separate silos but deeply interconnected.

Directly subordinate Media

Adjacent Media

Independent amplifiers

Here are a few extremely popular channels pushing AfD talking points constantly:

Case Study: Eva Vlaardingerbroek

Eva Vlaardingerbroek is a Dutch far-right political commentator, known in particular for promoting the “Great Replacement” theory. She presents herself as independent, but even a brief look at her Twitter account gives a fairly clear picture of how her surrounding media sphere functions.

She maintains strong connections with a range of high-ranking European politicians, has drawn attention from Donald Trump himself, and regularly interacts with commentators in her ideological orbit—such as Tucker Carlson, Jordan Peterson, Benny Johnson, and Gerald Grosz. At the same time, she is frequently featured across all three layers of media described above, including outlets like NIUS or FPÖ TV.

Taken together, her role illustrates how these networks overlap and reinforce each other.