(New York, N.Y.) – The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) released a new report titled Financial Strategies Of Right-Wing Extremist Organizations And Actors In The United Kingdom And Germany, commissioned by the British Embassy in Berlin. The report aims to inform policymakers on the main financial strategies and activities employed by right-wing extremist (RWE) organizations in the U.K. and Germany and gives recommendations on how to prevent or disrupt them. This topic was also the subject of a recent CEP webinar.

The report finds that many of the key U.K. RWE actors transitioned from traditional forms of fundraising (e.g., membership dues and mail-in donations) to modern financing strategies (e.g., online crowdfunding, online merchandising, and individualized online “pay for chat” offers to discretely host and monetize conversations). RWEs in the U.K. utilize messenger services and platforms such as Gab, Entropy, Telegram, Buy Me a Coffee, and SubscribeStar for these purposes.

In Germany, RWE networks apply a more “old school” approach, where they focus on financial activities like organizing music events. In 2022, there were more than 200 that with a total of at least 11,000 participants. German RWEs also operate dozens of online merchandise shops. Many of them use Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for these purposes. Additionally, several German RWE actors are or were involved in organized crime, including the sale of illegal drugs, prostitution, and money laundering.

To read the full report, Financial Strategies Of Right-Wing Extremist Organizations And Actors In The United Kingdom And Germany, please click here.

To watch CEP’s webinar, The Financial Strategies Of Right-Wing Extremists In The U.K. & Germany, please click here.