Nius and the culture war: How democracy is threatened!

Nius and the culture war: How democracy is threatened!

A new book is causing a stir in today's media landscape: Under the title “The NGO Complex,” Nius sheds light on the dark sides of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and their influence on politics. The right-wing populist portal, which was founded by Julian Reichelt, a former editor-in-chief of “Bild”, can count on a growing number of supporters who promote its opinion on social media. The article by provides more details on this development bachhausen.de.

Nius has shifted over time from an initial focus on the Greens to a broader attack strategy against the entire democratic civil society. The platform stages a real culture war and attacks prominent actors in order to sow distrust in the democratic structures. According to the book author Björn Harms, which was only published in May 2025, Nius also uses well-known personalities to legitimize these topics and working methods in public. Criticism also came from Ulrich Vosgerau, who questioned Correctiv's working methods, particularly with regard to their reporting on secret meetings.

The influence of NGOs

But what is really behind the term “NGO complex”? The book exposes an apparent waste of taxpayers' money and sheds light on the financial relationships that NGOs have with government bodies. In a country where tax revenues were just under one trillion euros in 2024 and financial resources are insufficient given increasing expenses, the role of NGOs becomes all the more remarkable. Government spending flows into, among other things, migration policy and development aid, and the investigation of these structures and their influence on government work is increasingly being called for. These findings come from jf-buchdienst.de.

The book is not only a critical examination of the role of NGOs, but also an appeal to analyze their interconnections with civil society, politics and the media. The issue becomes even more explosive when you consider that right-wing populist movements are gaining support in Europe, for example in Hungary, Italy and among AfD supporters in Germany. Surveys suggest that the AfD can expect good results in the upcoming state elections. This normalization of right-wing populist discourses could not only change the political landscape, but also shake the foundations of democracy bpb.de reported.

A dangerous game

In the current situation, it is of great importance to monitor the spread of right-wing extremist narratives that operate with the “deep state” term and mobilize in particular against civil society projects. These developments can not only be seen in Germany, but also extend throughout Europe, encouraged by the current social and migration debate.

The challenges posed by the rise of right-wing populism should not be underestimated: they endanger democratic principles and give further scope to extremist ideologies. It remains to be seen how the political landscape evolves and whether civil society voices can be heard while being targeted by such attacks.