Erik Ahrens, the Budapest-based, self-proclaimed neo-Nazi and former AfD social media strategist, shared a Nazi-era style antisemitic video on X today. The 31-year-old, known for peddling antisemitic rhetoric under slogans like “Make Budapest Safe,” posted a video of someone dressed like a Nazi, attempting to intimidate a group of Haredi Jewish men in Hungary. Instead of cowering, the ultra-Orthodox men laughed in his face, turning what was clearly trying to be a provocation into an online embarrassment.
Ahrens’ Background: From AfD to Fringe Extremism
Ahrens, born in 1994 and of Greek descent, rose to prominence as a far-right influencer who shaped the Alternative für Deutschland’s (AfD) social media success, driving millions of TikTok views with provocative content. Once a skinhead and briefly left-leaning, he pivoted to right-wing activism, founding the “GegenUni”, branded a “far-right propaganda institute” by AfD figurehead Maximilian Krah. His strategies boosted the party’s youth appeal, earning him guru status in outlets like The Irish Times.
But 2024 marked a turning point. After the AfD cut ties amid his radical race-theory rants and repurposing of apolitical dance videos for propaganda, Ahrens went rogue. An October exposé by Hope Not Hate and Der Spiegel caught him in Athens plotting a Trump-style populist movement, backed by a U.S. multimillionaire, with fascist leanings and eugenics ties. Shunned by New Right allies like Martin Sellner and Götz Kubitschek (whose Antaios publishing house banned him) Ahrens has since vowed to lead an international “racist network.”
